Team

Oula A. Alrifai

Executive Producer

Oula is a co-founder and executive director at SANAD. She was a political asylee from Syria and received her U.S. citizenship in 2016. Oula is a Middle East and North Africa analyst. She has been involved in the Syrian protest movement. Oula is currently a Master’s candidate at Harvard University.

Mouhanad A. Al-Rifay

Director and Producer

Mouhanad is a writer, documentary filmmaker, and international development professional. He was a political asylee from Syria and received his U.S. citizenship in 2015. Mouhanad is a co-founder and program director at SANAD. He currently lives in Washington, D.C. and travels periodically.

Hawa B. Toure

Editor and Producer

Hawa is a film editor, non-profit and international development professional based in Washington, D.C. She is a board member of Gandhi Brigade Youth Media, a non-profit organization. Hawa is originally from Conakry, Guinea. She speaks French and Susu and enjoys dancing zouk.

Khawla Yusuf

Producer

Khawla is a Syrian-American author, pro-democracy and human rights activist, and teacher of Arabic language. She is a co-founder and executive director at Tharwa Foundation, a non-profit organization. During the Syrian Revolution she was one of the main liaisons linking U.S. officials with activist networks in Syria. She lives in Washington, D.C.

John Jacks

Photographer and Videographer

John is a Washington, D.C. based photographer. He captures the people and moments that capture him. He doesn’t photograph subjects, instead he photographs how they make him feel. John carries his camera with humor, compassion, and curiosity.

Kevin Bassinson

Film Score Composer

Alicia Hirsch

Post Production Consultant

Alicia started out her career working on such acclaimed shows as Fantasy Island, Hill Street Blues, St. Elsewhere, Remington Steele.  Soon after attending both USC and Pepperdine, she received her MBA and moved from editorial into management.

Now combining her creative side with her MBA, she became the Vice President of Post Production and World Wide Distribution for MTM Studios and was the executive in charge on such shows as Newhart, WKRP in Cincinnati, Evening Shade, The Pretender along with countless MOW’s and Specials.

After MTM was sold, Alicia became Senior Vice President of World Wide Distribution for Television, Technological Services and Special Projects for Universal Studios. She has worked as Co-Producer on Nash Bridges and The District and has consulted with Major Studios in various capacities.

Alicia then joined Fox as Senior Vice President of Post Production for FTVS and Fox 21 Television Studios. Working on Cable shows: Americans, Burn Notice, Damien, Legends, Salem, Marc Maron, Queen of the South, Rocky Horror Picture Show as well as numerous others.

After leaving Fox, Alicia began working as a Post Production Consultant, specializing in assisting small companies and independent productions both domestically and internationally, acting as a liaison between production, post, the creative and legal teams as well as the Network. Creating the post budget at the script level, generating the post calendar, hiring the post staff and vendors and formulating a post workflow.

Christy Batta

Graphic Designer

Christy is an award-winning graphic designer for nonprofits and businesses doing good work for others. Her mission is to help clients make the right impressions on the right people. In addition to her design business, she is the co-founder of the Unofficial Hand Lettering Society of Silver Spring. You can learn more about her design work at heybattabatta.com.

Elisha Drons

Re-Recording Engineer

Ashley Simmons

Subtitle Reviewer

Post Audio Services by 5 guys named Moe, inc.

Special thanks to:

Seth Krugliak

Evan Glass

Kevin Barnett

And big thanks to everyone who continues to encourage us along the way, including those who donate to the SANAD Education Fund.