Zain Shami Wins “Outstanding Supporting Actress” in Her Role in the Feature Film Pomegranate

La Femme Independent Film Festival (Paris, France) awards Zain Shami “Outstanding Supporting Actress” for her role as “Hassina” in the feature film Pomegranate.

STERLING HEIGHTS, MICHIGAN, UNITED STATES, September 5, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ — We are thrilled to announce that Zain Shami was awarded “Outstanding Supporting Actress” for her role as “Hassina” in the feature film Pomegranate by the esteemed La Femme Independent Film Festival (Paris, France).

“It’s an honor to win such a prestigious award from such a reputable festival,” said Shami. “I was lucky enough to screen Pomegranate via La Femme and was once again reminded why I chose to do this beautiful project. Pomegranate showcases that no matter what our religious and political views might be in the end we all want the same thing, happiness and respect. Everyone deserves the right to live their lives without fear and judgement and to see the characters in Pomegranate slowly also start to comprehend this fact is beautiful to witness.”

ZAIN SHAMI is a Los Angeles based actress and stand-up comedian. She’s one of the first internationally known Hijabi Muslim females who performs standup comedy within the United States. Born in Kuwait, to Iraqi parents, Zain left the Middle East at the young age of two, whereupon her parents immigrated to California. Raised in Los Angeles with a very unique perspective on religion and culture, she is able to grapple with her unique and unrivaled upbringing with a lot of laughter and love! As an actress she’s been on numerous television shows and films helping to bridge the gap between Muslims and non-Muslims alike by normalizing the everyday life of a Muslim American female. You can catch her on tv/film platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Comedy Central and even the Late Late Show with James Corden. She is active on social media as @ZainComedy, she has over 165 thousand followers on Instagram, and 1.2 mil on TikTok.

For Pomegranate, Zain takes on the role of Hassina Al Mousawi Niran’s loving but strict Muslim mother. A strong woman, Hassina thinks muumuus are the latest American fashion always wearing a matching hijab. Under her muumuus, Hassina wears the family pants. Easily irritable, she’s obsessed with food and keeps their dual-sided refrigerator and freezer stocked to overflowing. Her biggest problem is getting her food stamp card renewed so her family won’t starve. She’s also obsessed with marrying Niran off and keeps Polaroid snaps of possible suitors in her bra.

Pomegranate is a dramedy by writer-director Weam Namou, partly based on her childhood experiences immigrating from Iraq to the United States, and then as an adult living through the presidential election of 2016. Consequently, Pomegranate is the story about how, in the weeks before the election of Donald Trump in 2016, a young, politically liberal, Iraqi Muslim immigrant struggles to find her footing in a neighborhood of well-to-do, politically conservative, Iraqi Christians, while battling her family’s fears of deprivation and demands of loyalty to Muslim traditions. The story is also available as a novel (in print, eBook, and audiobook) Also take a look at Trailer #2!

Namou worked with legendary Hollywood producer Scott Rosenfelt, Buffalo 8 Productions (Santa Monica, CA), and Hollywood veteran Sam Sako.

In addition to the receiving this award from the prestigious La Femme Independent Film Festival, Pomegranate has also been recognized with the following awards / selections:

* La Femme Independent Film Festival (Paris, France) Winner of:
– Best Feature Film in English
– Best Original Feature Script
– Outstanding Supporting Actress (Zain Shami)
* New York International Women Festival – Winner of all Categories for Best Feature Film Directed by a Woman (2023)
* Luleå International Film Festival (Sweden) (Winner)
* Birsamunda International Film Awards (India)- Winner for Best Actress – Sam Rahmani
* Birsamunda International Film Awards (India) – Winner for Best Feature Film on Women
* Castle Film & Media Award (Rome, Italy) (Official Selection)
* Santa Barbara International Movie Awards (Nominee)
* San Diego International Film Awards (Semi-Finalist)
* San Jose Independent Film Festival (Semi-Finalist)
* St. Louis Film Awards (Semi-Finalist)
* Prague Underground Film Festival (Semi-Finalist)
* Vancouver Independent MovieMakers Award (Semi-Finalist)

Weam Namou
Namou Productions
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Pomegranate Official Trailer