Karim Rizkallah

I want to tell stories that can inspire, teach, and allow us to "walk a mile in another's shoes", ultimately bringing people in the world closer together.

There exists so much conflict and aggression stemming from a problematic ‘us and them’ dichotomy; by isolating or dehumanizing people, including victims of oppression and violence, we perpetuate such tragedies. Storytelling - specifically its ability to evoke our shared humanity - can overcome this false dichotomy to shift our perspectives in a way that can foster understanding and empathy, peace and tolerance, and a love ethic in a better world. Film is an accessible, increasingly far-reaching, and profoundly compelling tool to tell stories, and as an artist who has always been passionate about every layer of the medium - my love of photography, music, theatre, writing, and animation all combined together - I want to join those who are using this art form to better ourselves and our communities.

Ultimately, I want to increase my abilities and influence as a filmmaker such that I can be in a position involved in choosing which stories to tell as well as guiding how to tell them.