Ramak Niakan Safi: This is Life
Ramak Niakan Safi: This is Life is a short documentary about a religious refugee from Iran who came to the United States with nothing but a soccer ball at his foot, which is all he had ever needed.
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Jack TrentDirector
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Project Type:Documentary, Short, Student
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Genres:Biography
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Runtime:5 minutes 30 seconds
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Completion Date:July 22, 2020
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Production Budget:0 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:Yes
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Chagrin Documentary Film FestivalChagrin, Ohio
United States
October 7, 2020
World Premiere
Official Selection -
Spotlight Documentary Film AwardsAtlanta, George
United States
Winner Silver Award -
Jacksonville Film FestivalJacksonville, Florida
United States
February 6, 2021
Southeast Premiere
Official Selection -
First Coast Film FestivalJacksonville, Florida
United States
Official Selection -
All American High School Film FestivalNew York, New York
United States
November 9, 2020
Official Selection -
Fort Lauderdale International Film FestivalFort Lauderdale, Florida
United States
November 5, 2020
Official Selection -
Miami Independent Film FestivalMiami, Florida
United States
Official Selection Monthly Edition
Jack Trent is a student documentary film director who hopes to bring people closer to God by producing true documentary films that inspire, educate and entertain. At the Florida Film Academy, Jack received invaluable teaching from two documentary veterans who produced and edited hundreds of documentary films and programs for BBC, Fox, National Geographic and other international networks. Currently enrolled in Florida State University, Jack will graduate in the year 2024.
Ramak Niakan Safi: This is Life is the first short documentary I've directed and it was a long but rewarding process. I first met Ramy when I was very young. He was an incredible coach and we became very good friends as the years went on. I started this project because I thought it had the potential to make for a good story; it took me a while to realize how important Ramy and his story truly were. As the documentary progressed through each step, my passion grew for the project. I think his story touches on many important themes like immigration, being a foreigner, having unrelenting perseverance and giving back. These themes are woven through a life of soccer, which to me (and Ramy), is the beautiful and universal game. I think the whole documentary leads to Ramy's humble words "I want to be the coach that I didn't have".