Mabrook (Congratulations), a short film written, directed and produced by alumnus Asad Farooqui '19, won the Georgia Film Critics Association's Oglethorpe Award for Excellence in Georgian Cinema. Each year, the award is bestowed upon one feature film or short film among ten nominated projects that were produced in Georgia. Farooqui’s film took home this year’s prize over films like The Suicide Squad, Spider Man: No Way Home and Red Notice.
In Mabrook, Amir, who is also played by Farooqui, is a struggling actor, trying to make an audition tape for a nondescript role in a film. His parents do not take his occupation seriously and there are constant interruptions and hustle-bustle as guests are expected to come over for Eid. Mabrook is a welcome portrayal of Muslim families so often ignored on the screen. This is a regular family that just disagrees on certain fundamental issues. Just like everyone else.
Read an interview with Farooqui here.
Asad Farooqui is a director, screenwriter, producer, and actor. He has directed multiple short films and written various scripts about characters stuck in an America that refuses to accept them. Farooqui's feature script, Bin, was a finalist for the Sundance Writer’s Lab and a finalist for the Best Screenplay Competition at the Ivy Film Festival. Bin also won the prestigious ISF National Film Grant. Farooqui's feature script, The Immigration Game, won first place at the Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Contest and was a Sundance Writer's Lab finalist. Farooqui's short film Broke was an official selection for the 2018 Atlanta Film Festival and has played at several film festivals around the world. He has developed and taught both screenwriting and directing workshops for the Atlanta Film Society, Atlanta Film Festival, and Georgia State University. Farooqui is currently developing his first feature, The Immigration Game, which is slated to shoot next year.
The Georgia Film Critics Association (GAFCA) was created in 2011 with the intention to promote film criticism and the film industry within the state of Georgia. While critics groups are prevalent in many parts of the country, the GAFCA is the first of its kind to be based solely in the state of Georgia. GAFCA membership is open to members of the reviewing press, whether through online, radio, television or print media.
