Stranger at the Gate Academy Award-Nominated Film Premiere & Talkback
Thursday, Oct 12, 2023
Thursday, October 12
5:00 pm Cash Bar | 6:00 pm Program
In Person at The Weitzman (5th and Market)
Tickets: General Admission $20 | Member Ticket $15
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The Weitzman welcomes you to the Philadelphia premiere of the Academy Award-nominated documentary film Stranger at the Gate (USA, 2022, 29 min).
Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai is the Executive Producer of this Academy Award nominated film.
Nominated for Best Documentary Short Film, it seamlessly weaves together the stories of Richard “Mac” McKinney, a U.S. Marine who returns home to Indiana from his tours in the Middle East with an overwhelming hatred of Muslims, and Bibi Bahrami, an Afghan refugee whose escape from war-torn Afghanistan shapes her understanding of racial discrimination. This nearly-tragic tale is equal parts surprising — especially the unbelievable ending — and moving.
The film’s Jewish director, Joshua Seftel, whose experience with antisemitism as a child, has earned Emmy and Peabody nominations for his Secret Life of Muslims project, which combats Islamophobia with filmmaking.
Following the screening, WHYY’s legendary radio host Marty Moss-Coane will lead a discussion between the film’s subjects and director. They’ll explore extremist ideologies, as seen in the rise of antisemitism today, racism, xenophobia, and the power of kindness.
Presented by the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History in partnership with the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom and Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media.
About the Director
Joshua Seftel is an Oscar-nominated filmmaker known for directing the Emmy-winning landmark series Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, the feature film War, Inc. starring John Cusack, Marisa Tomei and Ben Kingsley, and his regular appearances on CBS Sunday Morning where he interviews his 86-year-old mother. His most recent film, Stranger at the Gate, Executive Produced by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai and nominated for a 2023 Academy Award®, is part of Seftel’s Emmy and Peabody-nominated Secret Life of Muslims project (SXSW), which combats Islamophobia with filmmaking. Seftel, who experienced antisemitism as a child, has been committed to working on this subject matter for the past seven years.
Seftel received his first Emmy nomination at age 22 with his documentary Lost and Found about Romania’s orphaned children. The film led to the American adoption of thousands of Romanian orphans. Some of his other award-winning films include the political campaign documentary Taking on the Kennedys (POV), the underdog sports film The Home Team (SXSW), the behind-the-scenes film about Annie’s Broadway revival It’s the Hard Knock Life (PBS), and the artist portrait The Many Sad Fates of Mr. Toledano (Tribeca Film Festival) which won the IDA Documentary Award and became the most viewed New York Times Op-Doc of the year. He is also a contributor to the Peabody Award-winning podcast This American Life and to The New York Times.
About The Moderator
Marty Moss-Coane is host and executive producer of The Connection, a new weekly show on WHYY-FM featuring wide-ranging conversations about what makes us human.
She has had a long career at WHYY as a host and producer. She co-created and produced Family Matters hosted by psychologist Dan Gottlieb, a long running and popular interview call-in program that dealt with a wide range of psychological issues. She was an associate producer for Fresh Air with Terry Gross when it was a local show in Philadelphia. She was a fill-in host when the program went national. For thirty five years, Marty was the host and executive producer of Radio Times, one of the most respected weekday interview programs on regional radio. She earned praise for her versatility and engaging conversations with guests and listeners alike during the live program, which covered social issues, public policy, books, films, and more.
Watch the Official Trailer Below:
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