For Buraz
SABINA VAJRAČA
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LOGLINE
A Bosnian Muslim war refugee turned successful Wall Street banker is forced to confront his intergenerational trauma when he’s plunged into the dark underbelly of Florida’s Bosnian immigrant community in order to solve his brother's untimely death.
SYNOPSIS
Living in a Tribeca loft, with a high-paid job on Wall Street, and a perfect girlfriend by his side, Kenan’s life couldn’t be further away from where he started—a bad part of a small town in Florida, where he and his family landed 22 years before as Bosnian War refugees.
So when he gets a call that his younger brother Armin died of an accidental drug overdose while visiting their mother in that same neighborhood he ostracized himself from, Kenan’s plan is to go there, bury his brother, take care of his mother, and get back to NYC as quickly as possible.
That all changes at the funeral, when Mirso, Armin’s childhood friend and a reformed criminal, tells Kenan it was no accident—Armin was killed—and Kenan is forced to immerse himself into the dark underbelly of the Bosnian immigrant community in order to find out what really happened.
LOOKBOOK
Sabina Vajrača. Writer & Director
Born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sabina Vajrača immigrated to the U.S. as a war refugee, and started her career in NYC theatre.
Her first film, the critically-acclaimed feature documentary BACK TO BOSNIA, premiered at the AFI Fest, played at over 30 festivals worldwide, winning Director's Choice at Crossroads, and was featured in BBC’s top 100 of the greatest films directed by women.
Since then she wrote, directed, and produced commercials, music videos, and over a dozen films including the multiple-award-winning VARIABLES, the Warner Bros./USC feature period drama VOODOO MACBETH, and OSCAR®-qualified short SEVAP/MITZVAH, for which she won the 2023 Humanitas Prize.
She also assisted writer/director Max Mayer on his feature drama ADAM, starring Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne (2009 Sundance), and shadowed directors on MADAM SECRETARY (CBS) and 9-1-1 (FOX).
Sabina received numerous awards for her work, including the DGA SFA Grand Prize, Alfred P. Sloan Grant, Claims Conference Grant, and nominations for the Student OSCARS and Student BAFTA.
She’s a member of Film Fatales and BAFTA, and an alumna of Ryan Murphy’s Half Directing Mentorship, Hayama Residency, Stowe Story Labs, and Almanack Screenwriters. She received an M.F.A. in Film and TV Production from USC School of Cinematic Arts and is repped by Zero Gravity and GGSSC.
Daniel Cummings. Producer
As a film producer from the Midwest, Daniel is known for his creative problem-solving, ability to maximize budgets, and passion for unique storytelling that embraces and promotes diverse voices.
By skillfully stretching resources, he makes projects feel much bigger than their budgets suggest. His extensive portfolio includes music videos with artist Bon Iver, Migos, and Future, as well as feature films like SLAYERS, DIG, HELEN’S DEAD, THE BEST MAN, and THE INFORMANT.
Daniel is a member of both the Directors Guild of America (DGA) and Producers Guild of America (PGA). His leadership fosters a collaborative and respectful environment among his crew members. His adventurous spirit and dedication to pushing the boundaries of filmmaking are evident in his diverse body of work. Daniel's commitment to nurturing captivating stories and supporting talented individuals behind the scenes has solidified his reputation as a respected film producer in the industry.
Tea Nicola. Executive Producer
Tea immigrated to Canada as a Bosnian war refugee in the 1990s and was raised by a single mom. A graduate of Queens University, she embarked on a decade-long career in manufacturing, tech, and finance, which ultimately led her to co-found WealthBar Financial Services, Canada’s First exclusively online wealth manager. She pioneered the digitization of the Canadian finance industry and led WealthBar as a CEO for a decade before she sold it to CI Financial Services in 2019. Tea has been recognized as a thought leader by major media outlets for her expertise in the fintech space, and received numerous accolades, including “Business in Vancouver Top 40 under 40,” “Most Influential Women in Business,” and “Top 500 BC Business Leaders of All Time.” She currently runs theatrical event productions for Eventology Canada and has recently been involved in an Academy® Awards Campaign for a Live Action Short SEVAP/MITZVAH.
Selma Zweifel. Executive Producer
Born in post-war Bosnia, Selma immigrated to the United States as a refugee when she was a child. After several years in the States, she ended up in the foster system, eventually being adopted by an incredible American family in St. Louis, MO. Having not grown up in the Bosnian community, she prides herself on learning her history and her people through storytelling and the arts. She graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in Journalism and Theater, before moving to Los Angeles, where she’s been forging her path in the film industry by working for various agencies and entertainment companies including Warner Brothers and HBO. Through her Hollywood journey, she discovered her deep passion for producing and supporting artists, and is now pursuing that passion as an independent film producer.
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