HIU Documentary Selected for Film Festival

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HIU's first documentary, "A Chaplain's Journey," has been selected for the Ridgefield Independent Film Festival. The festival will take place in Ridgefield, CT, from May 16-19. Chief Creative Officer Steven Havira conceived of, directed, and produced the 16-minute film.

"A Chaplain's Journey" focuses on the life and career of Islamic Chaplaincy alum Imam Chaplain Omer Bajwa '10. 

Steven began interviewing and filming Omer in the summer of 2022 and gradually completed the documentary over the next year. It premiered in October 2023 as HIU's communications team launched a new initiative called "1834." That initiative bridges all areas of HIU's marketing and communications efforts to produce high-quality media advancing our reach technologically, narratively, and sustainably.

Omer was the first Muslim chaplain at Yale University, starting in 2008. He serves as the Director of Muslim Life in the Chaplain's Office at Yale and is seen as a mentor and role model for chaplains of all faiths. Omer also co-edited the book Mantle of Mercy: Islamic Chaplaincy in North America, which includes essays from many different chaplains educated at HIU since it started the first Islamic Chaplaincy program in the nation in 2001.

"A Chaplain's Journey" has also won several awards to date:

• First place in the "Video for Web" category of the Connecticut Press Club awards
• Platinum level in the 2023 Viddy Awards
• Merit Award in the 39th Annual Educational Advertising Awards

A feature story written by Communications Coordinator Lizbeth Ryan took an honorable mention in the Feature Story (Online Publication) category of the Connecticut Press Club awards. That story was “Strikes and Stories: International Students Experience Duckpin Bowling.”

Congrats to Steven and Liz!