In an effort to promote positive and accurate portrayals of Islam and Muslims, each year MPAC recognizes voices of courage and conscience who are the best in their field.
Executive Producer Omar Amanat
Omar S. Amanat is a U.S. businessman and entrepreneur. Named one of Wall Street's "Top Ten Most Influential Technologists", Mr Amanat was a pioneer in the electronic brokerage industry. Most recently he was the founder, CEO and majority shareholder of Tradescape Corporation, which he sold in 2002 to E*Trade for consideration worth $280 million. Amanat recently began to explore using the power of film to achieve social change and co-founded a $200 million feature film company with a mission to "make films that will change the world" and also helped to create and is a founding board member of a $1 billion new Hollywood studio/production and distribution venture that produces and distributes 12 Hollywood feature films per year. Among the recent highly-acclaimed films Amanat has served as either executive producer or producer for include "The Visitor", "The Kite Runner", and "Charlie Wilson's War".
Morgan Spurlock for
'Where in the World is Osama bin Laden'
If Morgan Spurlock has learned anything from over 30 years of movie-watching, it's that if the world needs saving, it's best done by one lone man willing to face danger head on to take it down, action hero style. So, with no military experience, knowledge or expertise, he sets off to do what the CIA, FBI and countless bounty hunters have failed to do: find the world's most wanted man. Why take on such a seemingly impossible mission? Simple -- he wants to make the world safe for his soon to be born child. But before he finds Osama bin Laden, he first needs to learn where he came from, what makes him tick, and most importantly, what exactly created bin Laden to begin with.
Creators & Executive Producers of Aliens in America
Moses Port and David Guarascio's sitcom "Aliens in America" shattered stereotypes and expectations since its debut last fall. The show centers around a midwestern family who agree to host an international exchange student to provide their nerdy son with a friend, only to learn that their visitor is a Pakistani Muslim. The sitcom explores the trials and tribulations of Raja and Justin, two teenage boys struggling to fit who become great friends along the way. Co-creators Moses Port and David Guarascio ("Mad About You", "Just Shoot Me") invited MPAC's Hollywood Bureau to serve as a consultant on the show last fall, which is produced by CBS Paramount Network Television for The CW.
