PRAYER OF THE WANDERER is a short film program that explores the complex and multifaceted experiences of Arab American immigrants in their pursuit of identity within the context of living in the United States. By delving into their narratives, this event seeks to shed light on the richness and diversity of Arab American cultural heritage while confronting the challenges faced by individuals in navigating their dual identities. Through a carefully curated selection of films, we aim to foster a deeper understanding of the Arab American community's varied contributions to society while inviting audiences to contemplate the universal themes of belonging, adaptation, and self-discovery.
Featuring works by Ahmed Ragheb & Lily Ekimian, Darine Hotait, Jenna Bosco, Randa Ali, Reem Jubran, Shayma Aziz, and Zayn Alexandre.
Gamal, a new immigrant who works as a dishwasher at a diner, has to find a place to live after his friend kicks him out. Gamal’s coworker, Jose, encourages him to call Fritzie, a friendly regular customer who’s looking for a tenant. Fritzie's high strung daughter, Rachel, pressures Fritzie to sell her house and live with her since she is now widowed, but Fritzie refuses. Gamal goes to the local park to play soccer with Jose and his friends as Fritzie stumbles upon them and watches. After the game is over, Gamal and Fritzie begin talking and laughing, a new friendship developing between them.
Jenna Mahmoud-Bosco (she/her) is filmmaker and actress from New Jersey. Her character-driven work centers women of color, marginalized communities, immigrants, and the experiences of being first generation in the USA. Her half hour comedy Lady Liberty was selected for the inaugural 2021 Black List Muslim List, a finalist for the 2020 Warner Brother’s Writer’s Workshop, as well as a second rounder of the episodic labs at Sundance, the Black List x WIF, and the Austin FF. She is a recipient of the 2021 New Jersey Council on the Art’s Individual Artist Fellowship in screenwriting.
Jenna is the creator and star of New Heights Webseries, which was an official selection at NYC Webfest, Brooklyn Webfest, New Media Film Festival and the Black Woman Film Festival. She recently wrote, produced and directed a short film, Baladi (My Country), which premiered at the 2020 Big Apple Film Festival and won best short in the women filmmakers’ category. In March 2022 it won the Audience Award at Mosquers Film Festival.
Jenna is currently developing a coming of age feature film and comedy pilot. Her recent acting credits include NBC’s New Amsterdam, NBC’s The Blacklist, and CBS’ Tommy. In her spare time, Jenna enjoys being with friends, taking care of her plants and making travel films.
PRAYER OF THE WANDERER is a short film program that explores the complex and multifaceted experiences of Arab American immigrants in their pursuit of identity within the context of living in the United States. By delving into their narratives, this event seeks to shed light on the richness and diversity of Arab American cultural heritage while confronting the challenges faced by individuals in navigating their dual identities. Through a carefully curated selection of films, we aim to foster a deeper understanding of the Arab American community's varied contributions to society while inviting audiences to contemplate the universal themes of belonging, adaptation, and self-discovery.
Featuring works by Ahmed Ragheb & Lily Ekimian, Darine Hotait, Jenna Bosco, Randa Ali, Reem Jubran, Shayma Aziz, and Zayn Alexandre.
Gamal, a new immigrant who works as a dishwasher at a diner, has to find a place to live after his friend kicks him out. Gamal’s coworker, Jose, encourages him to call Fritzie, a friendly regular customer who’s looking for a tenant. Fritzie's high strung daughter, Rachel, pressures Fritzie to sell her house and live with her since she is now widowed, but Fritzie refuses. Gamal goes to the local park to play soccer with Jose and his friends as Fritzie stumbles upon them and watches. After the game is over, Gamal and Fritzie begin talking and laughing, a new friendship developing between them.
Jenna Mahmoud-Bosco (she/her) is filmmaker and actress from New Jersey. Her character-driven work centers women of color, marginalized communities, immigrants, and the experiences of being first generation in the USA. Her half hour comedy Lady Liberty was selected for the inaugural 2021 Black List Muslim List, a finalist for the 2020 Warner Brother’s Writer’s Workshop, as well as a second rounder of the episodic labs at Sundance, the Black List x WIF, and the Austin FF. She is a recipient of the 2021 New Jersey Council on the Art’s Individual Artist Fellowship in screenwriting.
Jenna is the creator and star of New Heights Webseries, which was an official selection at NYC Webfest, Brooklyn Webfest, New Media Film Festival and the Black Woman Film Festival. She recently wrote, produced and directed a short film, Baladi (My Country), which premiered at the 2020 Big Apple Film Festival and won best short in the women filmmakers’ category. In March 2022 it won the Audience Award at Mosquers Film Festival.
Jenna is currently developing a coming of age feature film and comedy pilot. Her recent acting credits include NBC’s New Amsterdam, NBC’s The Blacklist, and CBS’ Tommy. In her spare time, Jenna enjoys being with friends, taking care of her plants and making travel films.