Rola Nashef is an American director, screenwriter, producer and multimedia artist based in

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

. She is best known for her award-winning film, ''Detroit Unleaded''.

Early life

Nashef was born in

Sidon Sidon ( ) or better known as Saida ( ; ) is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast in the South Governorate, Lebanon, South Governorate, of which it is the capital. Tyre, Lebanon, Tyre, t ...

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

to Franco and Salima Nashef. Her father Franco is from

Maghdouché Maghdouché (, ) is a municipality in the South Governorate of Lebanon. It is located 50 km south of Beirut and 8 km southeast of Sidon. The village lies 3 km inland from the Mediterranean, occupying a hill with elevation ranging b ...

, where her mother Salima is from

Deir Mimas Deir Mimas (also spelled Deirmimas, Deir Mamas, and Deir Mimmas) (دير ميماس) is a municipality 88 km south of Beirut in Lebanon. Named in honor of Saint Mamas, the town overlooks the Litani River and the medieval Beaufort Castle t ...

; both small Christian villages in the south of Lebanon. In 1978, her family fled the

Lebanese Civil War The Lebanese Civil War ( ) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 150,000 fatalities and led to the exodus of almost one million people from Lebanon. The religious diversity of the ...

and immigrated to the United States where they settled in

Lansing, Michigan Lansing () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Michigan. The most populous city in Ingham County, Michigan, Ingham County, parts of the city extend into Eaton County, Michigan, Eaton County and nort ...

where her father worked as a skilled tradesmen at

General Motors General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...

. Nashef graduated from Waverly High School and went on to study at

Lansing Community College Lansing Community College is a public community college with its main campus in Lansing, Michigan. Founded in 1957, the college's main campus is located on an urban, site in downtown Lansing spanning seven city blocks approximately two blocks ...

. She then attended

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State o ...

Madonna University Madonna University is a private Catholic university in Livonia, Michigan, United States. It was founded as the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Junior College by the Felician Sisters in 1937. It became Madonna College in 1947 and Mado ...

and

Oakland Community College Oakland Community College (OCC) is a Public college, public community college with five campuses in Oakland County, Michigan. Established in 1964, OCC is the largest community college in Michigan, with the state's third-largest undergraduate enr ...

where she studied political science, marketing research, paralegal studies, sociology, accounting, art and photography, before graduating from the Motion Picture Institute in

997 Year 997 ( CMXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Japan * 1 February: Empress Teishi gives birth to Princess Shushi - she is the first child of the emperor, but because of the power stru ...

with a degree in Directing and Producing.

Career

Nashef's debut short film, ''8:30'' , a romantic comedy short film that was presented at the Arab Screen Independent Film Festival in

Doha, Qatar Doha ( ) is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor and Lusail, it is home to most of the country's population. It is also Qatar's ...

during 2001. She raised 20,000 through a letter writing fundraising campaign to develop and direct her second short film, ''Detroit unleaded'', and won “Best Short Film” at the Trinity Film Festival and "Best Performance" at the

New Haven Underground Film Festival The New Haven Underground Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Connecticut, United States. Despite its name, the event itself has never been held in New Haven; instead, it has been held in other Connecticut cities while carrying the slog ...

. As a slice-of-life dramedy that centers around an Arab-owned 24-hour gas station, ''Detroit Unleaded'' holds its place in American cinema history as the very first Arab-American romantic comedy portraying second generation Arab characters specific to Detroit and Dearborn. The film premiered in 2012 at the

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the most prestigious and largest publicly attended film festivals in the world. Founded in 1976, the festival takes place every year in early September. The organi ...

, won the inaugural Grolsch Film Works Discovery Award. Prior to its release, ''Detroit Unleaded'', was supported by the

Sundance Institute Sundance Institute is a non-profit organization founded by actor Robert Redford committed to the growth of independent artists. The institute is driven by its programs that discover and support independent filmmakers, theatre artists and compo ...

Screenwriters Lab, IFP New York,

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 ...

and the A2E Distribution Lab, SFFS. Nashef worked and served as a multimedia artist on ''Facing Identity'', a permanent installation in the

Arab American National Museum The Arab American National Museum (AANM, ) is a museum in Dearborn, Michigan, highlighting the history, experiences, and contributions of Arab Americans. Established in 2005, it is the first, and largest, museum in the world devoted to Arab Americ ...

Awards

* Adrienne Shelly Directors Award, Adrienne Shelly Foundation, 2015 * Kresge Arts in Detroit Fellowship Award, 2014 *

Adrienne Shelley Adrienne Shelly ( Levine; June 24, 1966 – November 1, 2006) was an American actress, film director, and screenwriter. She gained recognition for her roles in independent films, particularly Hal Hartley's '' The Unbelievable Truth'' (1989) and ' ...

Director's Award for her script NADIA'S HOUSE, 2014 * Best Feature for ''Detroit Unleaded'', American Spectrum,

Indianapolis International Film Festival Indy Film Fest, formerly known as the Indianapolis International Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Indianapolis, United States. The festival champions films that entertain, challenge, and expand perspectives in Indianapolis and b ...

, 2013 * Audience Award for ''Detroit Unleaded'', Twin Cities Arab Film Festival, 2013 * Grolsch Film Works Discovery Award,

, 2012 * Named one of the "25 New Faces of Independent Film",

Filmmaker Magazine ''Filmmaker'' is a quarterly publication magazine covering issues relating to independent film. The magazine was founded in 1992 by Karol Martesko-Fenster, Scott Macaulay and Holly Willis. The magazine is now published by the IFP (Independent Fil ...

, 2011

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nashef, Rola Year of birth missing (living people) Living people People from Sidon Lebanese emigrants to the United States American women screenwriters American women film directors American women film producers American film producers 21st-century American women Lansing Community College alumni Michigan State University alumni Madonna University alumni Oakland Community College alumni