Afghan & Iranian women take top honors in Religious Freedom & Business Film Festival

Festival Shows Inclusivity & Multi-Faith Collaboration in the Marketplace and Society. Other Finalists from US, Canada, UAE, India, Jordan, etc. On August 1, 2020, 1:00 PM Eastern US Time, Empower Women Media and the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation will host an online film festival and award ceremony to honor and celebrate the 2020 winning […]

Festival Shows Inclusivity & Multi-Faith Collaboration in the Marketplace and Society. Other Finalists from US, Canada, UAE, India, Jordan, etc.

On August 1, 2020, 1:00 PM Eastern US Time, Empower Women Media and the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation will host an online film festival and award ceremony to honor and celebrate the 2020 winning films.

Learn more and register to attend.


Long Road to Freedom by Mariya Dostzadah Goodbrake (Afghanistan and US) took the grand prize in the live short film category. District 18 by Maral Karee (Iran and Canada) claimed grand prize for the best animated short film.

In Long Road to Freedom, Mariya shares her story of immigration to Canada and then the US, where she and her team – in collaboration with local businesses in Kansas City – empower refugees and promote freedom of belief through in Kansas City through Global FC, a football/mentoring program that bridges diverse cultures to come together, forming just communities where all are free to be fully-known and fully-loved in pursuit of their God-given purpose and potential.

District 18 is the story of a young woman living in a society where diversity is shunned, but she longs for freedom of belief. She finds it in a land where Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is celebrated: Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

The short films are artful and compelling explorations of the impact of freedom of religion and belief (FoRB) in the workplace and community. Whether inspired by real-life events or fictional stories, animated, or experimental, the films thoughtfully seek to affirm that FoRB is good for business and thriving communities.

“In an age when there is an urgent need for inclusion and appreciation of diversity, this film competition has empowered new voices from around the world to contribute to the discussion,” says Brian Grim, president of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation, cosponsor of the competition. “I look forward to showcasing these stories in the months to come, especially in support of religious inclusion in workplaces worldwide,” Grim added.

“We are passionate about empowering women to create media for their mission,” said Shirin Taber, Director of cosponsor Empower Women Media. “I am thrilled to see women sharing their religious freedom stories and expanding their outreach to some of the toughest places in the world.”

religiousfreedomandbusiness.org/film-competition-2020

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Contact
Brian Grim, Religious Freedom & Business Foundation
[email protected]
(410) 268-7809

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