Monday, April 8
Doors + Pizza: 7:00 PM

Sliding Scale: $10-$30

Join us for the first BrickFlix of 2024 as we present The Winds that Scatter introduced by a short talk by immigration attorney Kimya Zahedi and followed by a Q&A with director Christopher Jason Bell. The film will be preceded by Emma Ramos‘ short film HANGRY XVÑERA (Quinceañera). And don’t forget about the delicious Two Boots Pizza!

The Winds that Scatter
EDITOR/PRODUCER/WRITER/DIRECTOR: Christopher Jason Bell
STARRING: Ahmad Chahrour
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Paul Taylor
CO-PRODUCERS: Mohammad Dagman, Ernie Hiyane

Ahmad is a refugee from Syria, holding wishes of starting his own taxi service. When he loses his menial employment at a gas station, he attempts to navigate through the current American economy with optimism. Soon, reality settles in as consistent work is scarce. An impression of hopelessness slowly begins to take a toll on his relationships, faith, and sense of self, with his dream slipping quickly from his grasp. (Runtime: 78 Mins)

Christopher Jason Bell is a former critic and active filmmaker. His first feature THE WINDS THAT SCATTER premiered at Northside Festival and went on to play in Madrid, South Korea (winning Best International No Budget Feature Film at the KIXFF), Cambodia, Chile, Argentina, and numerous places in the USA. You can now watch the film on Means TV. Christopher completed and released a series on US President George W. Bush using all archival material called MISS ME YET. It can be viewed in its entirety on MeansTV. FAILED STATE is his third feature film and premiered at the Torino Film Festival in 2023. Twitter: @UpdateTheGrids

HANGRY XVÑERA (Quinceañera)
WRITERS: Emma Ramos, Bernardo Cubria
DIRECTOR: Brendan Colthurst
CAST: Emma Ramos, Alfonso Borbolla, Diana Bracho, Camila Calónico, Juan Carlos Colombo, Daniel Garcia, Alberto Juarez, Pilar Ixquic Mata, Concepción Márquez
PRODUCERS: Emma Ramos, Brendan Colthurst, Saila Reyes, Juan Carlos Lopez

An American LatinX 14-year-old bisexual girl named Hangry who, facing pressure from her family and church to be skinny, straight, and smiling, refuses to play with their norms. (Runtime: 8 mins)

Emma Ramos is an actress whose credits include recurring roles on the hit TV dramas NEW AMSTERDAM, LAW & ORDER: SVU, THE ENDGAME, UNFORGETTABLE, and IN THE SUMMERS who won the Grand Prix at Sundance 2024. She is also a comedy writer for Nickelodeon’s ¡DORA! and is set to play the role of “Irasema” on Season 3 of Disney’s animated series HAMSTER AND GRETEL. Ramos has received numerous industry honors, including an Imagen Award nomination, The Century Fox/Disney Women of Color TV Pilot Incubator Award, and the Warner Media 150 Award at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Born and raised in Culiacan Sinaloa, Mexico, Ramos draws from personal experiences to bring out her characters’ emotional truths.

BrickFlix is a film series curated and co-produced by Phil Hartman (Sundance Award-winner No Picnic; The Pioneer Theater; HOWL! Festival, etc.) bringing together indie filmmakers, vintage treasures, live performances and specially-themed Two Boots pizza. @brickflixmovies
Co-produced by Toney Brown (@toneymovies)

Guest Speaker Kimya Zahedi is an attorney with CoveyLaw’s performing arts immigration practice, where she counsels clients on U.S. inbound artist mobility. Primarily focusing on O and P visas, her clients range from individuals and ensembles to large-scale productions. Kimya has been practicing immigration law since 2022, initially with a focus on corporate clients in the science and technology services sectors, along with family-based immigration matters. Kimya holds a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College, an M.A. in International Relations and International Economics from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law. During law school, Kimya was Chapter Director of the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), as well as a Professionalism Fellow, Crowley Scholar, and Editor of the International Law Journal. During her participation in the law school’s Human Rights Clinic, Kimya co-authored an article, “Anti-Carceral Human Rights Advocacy,” which was published in the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Law and
Social Change. Kimya serves on the Board of Directors of civic-arts non-profit Waterwell, which is dedicated to civic-minded theater, theater education, and performing arts. Kimya is admitted to the New York State Bar.

***

The Brick is a 501(c)(3) non-profit. We rely on the generosity of our patrons. Consider giving a tax-deductible donation today to help make The Brick a sustainable hub of experimental performance for many years to come. Donate Here or Join Our Patreon