FIBA Allow Hijab
2021 Online New England Film Festival Retrospective | NewEnglandFilm Discovery | Documentary | Massachusetts | Watch Online Now
Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir is the all-time leading scorer in Massachusetts history for high school basketball (male or female). In 2010, she became the first NCAA Division I player to wear a hijab on the court. But today she is blocked from pursuing her professional basketball career due to a FIBA rule that bans headscarves in international competitions. Forced to sit out, Abdul-Qaadir is now leading the fight for Muslim women’s right to play.
Film Details
Director: Jon Mercer and Tim O'Donnell
Writer: Jon Mercer and Tim O'Donnell
Year of Release: 2017
Running Time: 15 minutes
New England Connection: Both directors live in MA. Subject Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir grew up in MA as well as a lot of the locations take place in MA.
Director(s) Bio:: About Co-Director Tim O'Donnell:
Tim O'Donnell is an Emmy-nominated and award winning documentary filmmaker. His work has appeared on ESPN, NBC, PBS, OutsideTV, CNN Films, Uninterrupted and events around the world. His film Not a War Story opened at #1 for all iTunes Documentaries and premiered at the Academy of Motion Pictures. His follow up feature Life Without Basketball opened to a sold out audience at DOC NYC and is being distributed by Gravitas Ventures and is available on Hulu and BET. HBO's Mary Carillo said of Tim's work, "The story is so beautiful, so lovingly told and so incredibly moving."
About Co-Director Jon Mercer:
Jon Mercer is known for his ability to deconstruct a frame or narrative, employing a collaborative approach to distill essential elements and clarify underlying emotions. His work is a search for the unexpected and overlooked moments in a story – whether building drama, finding humor, or examining reality. As a director and editor his work has been broadcast nationally and creates lasting impact in educational and humanitarian sectors. Jon's films have screened at festivals internationally and featured on PBS. His feature length directorial debut Life Without Basketball premiered at DocNYC in 2018 and was recognized by Human Rights Watch for its influence on global equality for athletes.
Number of shooting days: 55
Camera Used: Too many (over 10 different cameras over 4 years): Canon C100, Sony A7sii, Canon 7D, GoPro, RED and more
Editing software: Adobe Premiere
Budget: $20,000
Financed by: Self-financed, Crowd funding (Kickstarter, etc), Grants/Scholarships
For more information: https://www.PixelaFilms.com
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