MPAC to Honor Hiam Abbass, 'Miral,' 'The Good Wife' & 'Fordson' at 20th Annual Media Awards

June 3, 2011

Don’t miss out in joining the Muslim Public Affairs Council in celebrating its 20^th Annual Media Awards Gala, which will honor the critically-acclaimed film “Miral” and its starring actress Hiam Abbass, the award-winning CBS drama “The Good Wife,” and the moving documentary “Fordson.”

The “Oscars of the Muslim American Community,” the Media Awards Gala will be held at the Sheraton Gateway in Los Angeles on June 25 and will celebrate two decades of honoring and recognizing those who use art and media to create enriching and humanizing portrayals of Islam and Muslims, promote diversity and social justice issues and inspire action.

Call (323) 258-6722 or visit archive.mpac.org today to reserve your tickets and find out how you can become a sponsor of this year’s Media Awards Gala.

ABOUT OUR 2011 HONOREES

“MIRAL”
“Miral” is the first mainstream feature film released in the U.S. to tell a story rooted in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the eyes of three generations of Palestinian women. MPAC is honoring 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. We are excited to announce that we will also be honoring Abbass for her remarkable portrayal of the real life visionary Hind Husseini, who in 1948 took in 55 Palestinian children wandering the streets of war-torn Jerusalem, and with her own money created a school for orphaned girls. To date, the orphanage has housed over 3,000 young girls.

“THE GOOD WIFE”
CBS’ dramatic series “The Good Wife,” starring Emmy Award-winning actress Julianna Margulies (“ER”), Chris Noth (“Law & Order”) and Archie Panjabi (“Bend It Like Beckham”) this season tackled stereotypes about Islam and Muslims in two powerful episodes. Writers and co-executive producers Ted Humphrey and Leonard Dick will be honored for the episodes, “Boom” and “On Tap,” which featured complex stories that challenge negative public assumptions on topics such as Muslim charities and cartoons depicting Prophet Muhammad.

“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, MI. 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 community’s resilience post-9/11 and their sensitive examination of the question, “Who is an American?”

ABOUT THE MEDIA AWARDS:

In 1991, MPAC awarded its first Media Award to prolific director Spike Lee for his momentous film, “Malcolm X.” Since then, honorees have included:

Morgan Freeman for his role as a Muslim in “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves”
Edward James Olmos for his outspoken and consistent support of the Muslim American Community
Michael Moore for his documentary "Bowling for Columbine”
Warner Brothers & Section Eight Productions for "Syriana"
Hany Abu-Assad for "Paradise Now"
Alec Baldwin for his outspoken support for civil liberties post 9/11
Amy Goodman of "Democracy Now!"
"The Simpsons” for its hilarious episode featuring a Muslim family called "Mypods & Boomsticks"
Academy Award winning film "Slumdog Millionaire"

In partnership with MPAC Foundation, MPAC's Media Awards is a production of its Hollywood Bureau, which serves as a resource and ally to networks, film studios, screenwriters and the creative community at large.