Empower Women Media and the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation honor women who artfully and compellingly explore the impact of freedom of religion and belief (FoRB) in their workplaces and communities through short films.
The 2021 Religious Freedom Film Competition has had a notable international reach, with this year’s entries including 4 films from Pakistan, 4 films from India, and 1 film from Japan. Other nations represented include Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Egypt, Afghanistan, and the United States. Below are the 2021 results.
Also see 2018, 2019, and 2020 results. (MEDIA: Press Release & Contacts)
FILM COMPETITION WINNERS
She Makes Everything Beautiful
$3,500 Grand Prize Winner, by Wagma Feroz (Pakistan)
A multi-faith salon in Swat, Pakistan dares to overcome cultural and religious divides to make all things beautiful.
Wagma Feroz is a freelance journalist from northwestern Pakistan with a focus on women’s rights, psychological trauma, and minority issues. Wagma has worked with community leaders in Swat and the adjoining tribal belt of Pakistan. She is the CEO of “Da Torsaro Saadar,” a women’s rights organization in Peshawar. An enthusiastic journalist and rights activist, Wagma strives to bring progressive changes to the sociocultural fabric of the conservative Pakistani society that jeopardizes women’s rights.
A Taste of Freedom
First Runner Up, by Meshair Jirdeh (France/Saudi Arabia/Somalia) & Terri Marie (U.S.)
A young Muslim woman seeks religious freedom and travels to a new land. On her journey, she meets the love of her life, a chef, and they build a new restaurant business together.
Born and raised in Saudi Arabia, Meshair Jirdeh comes from a Somalian family with seven siblings. Arabic was her first language, and she studied English in school, Somali at home, and recently learned French. Meshair has worked in customer service and as an administrator at the Four Seasons Hotels. She is married to the man of her dreams, François, who is a Pastry Chef who fills her home and heart with the sweet smell of freshly baked goods. Meshair loves to travel and now makes France her home.
From working with Olympic athletes to top public figures, award-winning producer Terri Marie has produced over 40 documentaries meant to inspire and uplift her audiences. Three of her ski movies with the late Stein Eriksen have aired on Network Television, PBS, and cable, and her skiing footage was shown on the giant screens at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. Her work with Native Americans has aired in Europe, and her latest short film, The Feminine Champion” won as a finalist in the Empower Women Media Film Contest. Terri Marie is the author of six books including, “Your Inner Cheerleader.”
Switch On
Second Runner Up, by Yamini Ravindran (Sri Lanka)
A talented corporate woman faces a dilemma at work, when pursuing a business opportunity may expose her to religious discrimination.
Yamini Ravindran, an attorney-at-law, is the Director for Legal and Advocacy for the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka. An ardent advocate for freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) locally and internationally, Yamini strategizes on key initiatives to build public awareness on FoRB and engages in projects and litigation to support victims and secure their rights. In addition to her role with the NCEASL, Yamini also serves as the Executive Director for the Asia Evangelical Alliance, Religious Liberty Commission, overseeing the status of religious freedom in 17 nations in Asia. Yamini has an LL. B. from the University of London and is presently reading for a master’s degree in Human Rights at the University of Colombo.
ADDITIONAL AWARDS
A Call to Lead by Machiko Sato (Japan) won the Presidential Global Challenge Film Award. Two other films won Inclusivity Awards: Pathways to Peace by Sana Zahid (Pakistan) and Camp C414 by Aasra Mansour and Mohammed Abd Alamir (Iraq).
A Call to Lead
Presidential Global Challenge Film Award, by Machiko Sato (Japan)
A Japanese woman challenges her beautiful and prosperous country to become a global leader in advocating for religious freedom inside and outside of Japan.
Pathways to Peace
Inclusivity Award, by Sana Zahid (Pakistan)
A female advocate and social activist, Ruth Rukhsana, strives to build a peaceful society by promoting religious freedom in Pakistan.
Camp C414
Inclusivity Award, by Aasra Mansour and Mohammed Abd Alamir (Iraq)
A displaced family living in a refugee camp in Baghdad struggles to develop their business and integrate into their host community because of their religious background.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Asha (Hope), by Arpudhamani (India), tells the story of a young mother in India who, because of the freedom of belief given to her by her employer, is empowered to learn a trade and get a job to provide for her family.
We Are One, by Jennifer Pinto (India), shows that we must speak up for inclusivity and multi-faith living in the workplace, because it leads to respect and opportunity for all people.
In Drawing the Soul of a Woman, by Carla Salloum (Lebanon), a female painter expresses through her drawings her desire for religious freedom and women’s empowerment in her country of Lebanon.
We, by Ahmar & Mariam Rehman (Pakistan), tells the story of two neighbors in Pakistan who, despite different religious beliefs, develop a loving and sacrificial friendship.
In Women Ablaze, by Alicia Crum (U.S.), a young woman fueled by her passion for inclusion shares the story of a friend who was raised in North Korea and chooses a life of faith amidst adversity.
Change Begins with Us, by Nivedita Devraj (India), calls for inclusivity and opportunity for the 400,000 beggars in India, and support for all people regardless of their caste, culture, or religion.