May 23, 2011

For the past 20 years, the Media Awards Gala has honored artists, actors, authors, executives and activists for their artistic contributions in promoting diversity, social justice and mutual understanding and inspiring action.

This year's honorees are:

“MIRAL”

Starring Freida Pinto, Hiam Abbass and Alexander Siddig, “Miral” is the first mainstream feature film released in the U.S. to tell a story rooted in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from the eyes of three generations of Palestinian women.

Academy Award winning producer Harvey Weinstein distributed “Miral” through The Weinstein Company in the face of great professional risk and backlash. The film was heavily protested by certain pro-Israeli groups who attempted to bar its release and even went as far as to stage a demonstration outside of the United Nations premier in New York this spring.

MPAC is honoring the makers of “Miral” -- director Julian Schnable and screenwriter Rula Jebreal -- for being the voices of courage and conscience who brought this story to life, particularly in the face of strong public outcry.

“THE GOOD WIFE”

Starring Emmy Award winning Actress Julianna Margulies (“ER”), Chris Noth (“Law and Order”) and Archie Panjabi (“Bend It Like Beckham”), CBS’ dramatic series “The Good Wife” this season tackled stereotypes about Islam and Muslims in two episodes. Writers and co-executive producers Ted Humphrey and Leonard Dick will be honored for the episodes – “Boom” and “On Tap” – which feature storylines that challenge negative public assumptions and stereotypes about Muslims.

These plot lines are precisely the types of stories that the MPAC Hollywood Bureau seeks to recognize and encourage because they take Muslim Americans out of the immigrant-or-terrorist binary and give Muslims a more relatable and humanizing face.

“FORDSON”

Set in the one of the largest Arab enclaves in the U.S., “Fordson” is a feature-length documentary film that follows four talented high school football players in Dearborn, Michigan. The documentary tells the story of the team, as they gear up for their big senior year rivalry game, which takes place during the last ten days of Ramadan.

“Fordson” director Rashid Ghazi and producers Ash-har and Basma Quraishi will be honored for their inspirational portrayal of an immigrant community’s resilience post-9/11 and their sensitive examination of the question, “Who is an American?”