THE CREW
Zerina Usmen, Director
Zerina Usmen pursued International Relations and Middle Eastern Studies at Wellesley College, where she received the Barnette Miller Award in Political Science. Travels through Dhaka, Jerusalem, London and Marrakesh couldn't satisfy her quest for human connection, so she turned instead to filmmaking. Soon she discovered her love for directing dramedy and writing fantasy-adventure. Regardless of genre, her work tends to explore themes of identity in both documentary and fiction.
J.R. Hardman, Producer
Making this documentary was an unusual experience for J.R. For one, she greatly enjoys dating and usually loves to make and watch irreverent, racy films. J.R. learned a ton about Islam and about herself while working on Muslims in Love. She has developed a profound admiration for the modest, spiritual side of relationships, though she feels more clueless about love than ever before. It has been a rare and remarkable ride. As both a filmmaker and a student of languages and cultures, J.R. constantly strives to make the foreign familiar through her work. J.R. currently studies Spanish and Vietnamese and loves to travel. Recently, her short film Touching was screened at four festivals in 2007, including OutFest. She is excited to create future documentaries and is developing an upcoming project about being a repeat exchange student in South America.
Amy Reynolds, Producer
Amy spent her early years performing gymnastics on her parents' household furniture. She spent the next 12 years of her life in and out of leotards training as an artistic competitive gymnast at Gymnastics Olympica U.S.A. before earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in Film & Media studies at the University of California, Irvine. She is entering her third year in the M.F.A. production program at USC's School of Cinematic Arts, with an emphasis in sound design. Amy is currently working on a documentary which looks to examine the social and economic impact on childhood cancer research and how researchers and afflicted families work together to beat the disease.
Sonya Oberly, Cinematographer
Sonya Oberly is currently working toward an M.F.A. degree in production at the University of Southern California. She completed her undergraduate studies in Psychology at the University of Nevada. Sonya is an enrolled member of the Nez Perce Tribe, as well as a descendant of the Osage and Comanche nations. While working on various reservations, Sonya became interested in film and video production. In 2005, she completed a short documentary which covered the Nez Perce Tribe's First Constitutional Convention. Besides being absorbed in her Native world, Sonya enjoys watching movies, video poker and spending time with her nephew, Cato.
Reed Simonsen, Editor, Sound Designer
Reed Simonsen grew up telling stories and entertaining people. He made his first short film at the age of eight. Convinced it would be a masterpiece, he spent his allowance on props and costumes. It was to climax with the most expensive shot of the film; the Great Pie Fight. At a cost of $12 (USD) there could only be one take. The actors hit their marks without a hitch. It was perfect until Reed discovered he had forgot to put film in the camera! In 2006, a lifelong dream came true when he was accepted into the master's program at the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California where he is currently studying to improve his craft. He has also learned how to load film into a camera. www.reedsimonsen.com
Tracy Wren, Editor
Tracy Wren earned her Bachelor's degree in English Literature from Northwestern University. She then went on to achieve an M.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Iowa as well as a M.F.A. in Screenwriting from the Huston School of Media and Digital Production at the National University of Ireland in Galway. A talented filmmaker, Tracy has numerous credits to her name; her films have screened in the short film corner at the Cannes Film festival, the Soileau Zydeco and Cajun Film Festival and she won First Prize for her documentary Claude et Albert at the Kerry Film festival. She has also received awards for her writing including the Northwestern University Short Fiction Literary Award for her story Two Boobs in the Sunset. In 2006 Tracy was accepted to the graduate film program at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts where she continues to make challenging and thought provoking films.
Jue Wang, Sound Designer
Jue is a visiting scholar from China to the USC School of Cinematic Arts. She received her Bachelor of Engineering in Recording Art and Science at the Beijing Broadcasting Institute and holds a Master of Arts degree in Sound Direction through the China Conservatory of Music. She went on to record, edit, and mix sound for 18 films and made-for-TV movies in China. Jue is an associate professor of sound recording at the Communication University of China School of Cinema & Television and is in her third year of study through their PhD program in Aural Art.