Sara Rashad
"Tahara"
TAHARA revolves around Amina who must decide if she will submit to family pressure to circumcise her daughter or abandon this age old tradition because of pressure she recieves from her mother when her husband's away on a business trip. Does Amina find courage to save Suha from circumcision?
Filmmaker Biography:
Sara Rashad is the writer, producer, director and editor of the 17 minute and 30 second 35 mm version of “Tahara” which has already won five prestigious grants based upon the integrity of the script: The American Association of University Women community action grant for projects promoting equity and education for women and girls worldwide; The Entertainment Industry Foundation Grant for projects that promote health education and awareness for women and girls; The Paul Robeson Pre-Production Grant for films which promote aggressive social change through media activism; The Roy W. Dean Film Grant for film projects which are unique and benefit society; and the Caucus Foundation Grant Award for new directors specializing in diversity from the Caucus Foundation for Television Producers, Writers & Directors.
Sara is also the award winning producer of many additional short films, including “Life is a Sweet,” which has won “best of fest” awards for it’s sensitive portrayal of women’s issues at international film festivals, including the Montreal World Film Festival. She also produced “Through Thick and Thin,” which won the Coca-Cola Refreshing Filmmaker’s Competition and screened before feature films nationwide. The five-minute version of “Tahara,” a USC student film received international acclaim at festivals and won the support of many non-governmental organizations fighting to eradicate FGM encouraging her to make the longer version.

Sara earned a B.F.A. degree in acting from the prestigious Cornish College of the Arts, and has performed in local theatre for 10 years. Her experience acting and directing actors has allowed her to draw authentic performances from the non-actors in the film. She recently received an M.F.A. degree in film production from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinema-Television, one of the top film schools in the world. Since graduation, she has served as cinematographer, editor and producer on several award-winning narrative films and documentaries. She is currently developing her first independent feature film to be shot in Cairo, Egypt with Studio Masr in 2005.