A Post-Workout Film for the 2-Minute Fitness Challenge #EndHomeFires #SoundTheAlarm

Long before opening The Madlab Post studio, I crewed, wrote, produced and directed several short films including the urban romantic drama, Abyss: The Greatest Proposal Ever. This film is a candid glimpse into the wild adventures of a U.S. Army officer who gets stranded at an inner-city bus stop when a botched TV audition shakes up his wedding plans.

Abyss: The Greatest Proposal Ever had its World Premiere at a movie theater in New York City. Yet, getting this film ready for its theatrical debut was a long journey with seemingly no end in sight when a massive fire destroyed the home of my Associate Producer on New Year's Day.

Since that tragic morning, I have provided emergency relief for more than 20 veterans and civilians displaced by home fires by donating proceeds from my short film's DVD sales to the American Red Cross and this month, I'm taking on their 2-Minute Fitness Challenge while helping families install smoke alarms, create escape plans and practice two-minute fire drills.

Home fires kill more people each year than all natural disasters combined, yet most of us don’t realize we only have two minutes to escape safely. You have the power to change that as I wrap up this year's 2-Minute Fitness Challenge with an online stream of my film to save lives!

To raise awareness and funds for home fire relief, I am completing as many reps of exercise as I can (jumping jacks, planks, squats, crunches, lunges, burpees, sit-ups, push-ups, jump rope, etc) in 2 minutes everyday leading up to a 72-hour online stream of my film, Abyss: The Greatest Proposal Ever as part of "Sound the Alarm," a nationwide Red Cross initiative with fire safety events taking place throughout May and early June.

Grab your ticket(s) to stream Abyss: The Greatest Proposal Ever as we raise critical funds and support for the American Red Cross in their goal to prevent fire-related deaths, injuries and severe property damage in the U.S. by going door-to-door to install 50,000 free smoke alarms in high-risk communities around the country.

Another way you can support is by purchasing a group of tickets in the quantity of your choice, to Sponsor free screenings for firefighters and Red Cross volunteers.

Every ticket purchase counts as you join me in making an impact and supporting this lifesaving work!

Not Your Average Dinner and a Movie: The Most Magnificent Thing #NaBloPoMo

A few lucky folks who came to see and vote on storyboard artist Arna Selznick’s The Most Magnificent Thing when this STEM themed film screened during the Short Film Slam were in for an extra treat! 

Checking out one of the structures in the gym at CANstruction 2019. Participating teams included USA Architects, JKRP, Turner Construction and more. You had to be there to see it.The Madlab Post studio was in its second year of operation while a design and build contest called CANstruction was happening in the gym at Bok. 

Every year, teams of architects, engineers, contractors and designers get together to build life-size structures made out of canned food.

Following a public exhibit, the cans used for these structures are donated to local hunger relief organization, Philabundance.  

Based on Ashley Spires’ best-selling book of the same name, The Most Magnificent Thing is an animated short starring Academy Award winner Whoopi Goldberg, Alison Pil (Vice; American Horror Story) and Lilly Barlam (The Handmaid's Tale).

The film is about the perseverance and creativity of an architect’s daughter who receives her very own tool box, and then embarks on a quest to build a masterpiece for her pet pug. 

Have YOU seen The Most Magnificent Thing? 

What’s YOUR CANstruction pick.... Beehive or Butterflies? 

When was the last time YOU built something from the ground up? How did it turn out? 

On Set with ‘Oblivion’ director Fatemeh Mohamadi's Pop Culture Loving Crew #NaBloPoMo

While Fatemeh Mohamadi entertained audiences as a stage actress and teacher long before filming her directorial debut Oblivion, she always knew she wanted to be in the driver’s seat. 

'Oblivion' director Fatemeh Mohamadi During Round III of the 2019 Short Film Slam, she and I spoke briefly about her motivations for making this live action drama about an elderly couple dealing with Alzheimer's disease, her goals with filmmaking and experience in theater. 

As we take a closer look at how this film came together, hear from the director on her need to be seen, ability to improvise and challenge the hearts and minds of the world....

Fatemeh Mohamadi: I was fond of team work from childhood and always liked to play shows for the elders in my father’s family. I gave my family’s children roles and directed them in their roles. It was the best entertainment for me. We also sold symbolic tickets. 

Since I was the only daughter of my father’s family, I had some of the boys wear a woman’s dress. My brother and cousin cried and did not want this role but they had to accept it. 

Once they beat each other hard on the show and the show broke off but I tried to tell the grown-ups that this was part of the show. I later found out this was a technique that I knew instinctively.  

All this made me realize I’m interested in directing and directing the group. I first started with the theater. After a while, I taught in secondary school and middle school. My students won tournaments and I received prizes but after a while I felt that the only thing that satisfies me is the cinema. I just tried to use the good experience that I had in the theater and then I forgot acting and directing in the theater because I lived directing the cinema. 

The first thing any creator needs is for more people to see his creation, as God wants his servants to see his creatures more closely. So festivals are the best opportunity for filmmakers to overcome this need. 

I just want more audiences for my movie around the world. It’s even better for me than the prizes. I love the audience encouragement and this is the best sound that a filmmaker wants to hear because he wants to be sure of his own actions. 

I like to improve the culture of humanity, for humans to be kinder together and to other creatures, and the world to be a better place to live. - Fatemeh Mohamadi