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“These guys are pioneers in the world of Muslim comedy and I am proud to be attached to this project.”
- Dave Chappelle

Source: Marketwire

“Allah Made Me Funny-The Official Muslim Comedy Tour” to Be Made Into Feature-Length Concert Film

Comedian and actor Dave Chappelle to serve as film’s executive producer

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA–(Marketwire - July 24, 2007) - “Allah Made Me Funny - The Official Muslim Comedy Tour” which features three of America’s top Muslim comics including Preacher Moss, Azhar Usman and Mohammed Amer will be made into a feature-length concert film that will showcase the comics’ on-stage performances and shine a spotlight on their lives, announced Dave Chappelle, the project’s executive producer.

Chappelle along with Unity Productions Foundation’s Michael Wolfe and Alex Kronemer will serve as the film’s executive producers. Moss and Usman will serve as producers through their jointly-held production entity, Handshake Productions LLC. Established indie filmmaker and documentarian Andrea Kalin will direct.

“Allah Made Me Funny is one of the funniest and most important comedy shows in America today. These guys are pioneers in the world of Muslim comedy and I am proud to be attached to this project,” said Chappelle.

The film will include live stand-up performances from each of the comics, along with some stylized documentary elements. Principal photography is scheduled for August 24 and August 25 at the Heritage Forum in Anaheim, California. The film’s producers also intend to incorporate an original musical score, ranging from jazz to hip-hop to R&B, with contributions from prominent and independent musical artists. A soundtrack based on the film is also under development.

Since launching in 2004, “Allah Made Me Funny - The Official Muslim Comedy Tour” has performed hundreds of shows throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. The Tour was initially created to relieve tensions and serve as a bridge-building tool between Muslims and non-Muslims to address negative stereotypes about the Muslim religion and culture in a post-9/11 world.

“Comedy gives people of all cultural backgrounds an opportunity to drop their guard and open their minds. Our goal with this film is to make audiences laugh and think,” said Preacher Moss.

Since its inception, the Tour has gained international recognition and praise by cultural and religious organizations globally and has attracted significant media attention including stories by The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX News, The San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Post, Time Magazine, Newsweek International, BBC, CBC, and dozens more.

About the Comedians

Preacher Moss is the founder and executive producer of the Allah Made Me Funny Tour. He has served as a writer for Damon Wayans as well as Darrell Hammond on Saturday Night Live. He was also a writer for George Lopez and The George Lopez Show. Recently, The Seattle Times tapped him as “a New Dick Gregory” because of his insightful comedy stylings sculpted out of everyday relevance of life.

Azhar Usman is co-founder of the Allah Made Me Funny Tour and is a former attorney-turned-standup comedian. Drawing on his life experiences as a Chicago-born child of immigrant Muslim parents from India, he has performed in over a dozen countries on five continents. He is also a professional circuit lecturer and community activist. Usman has been featured in print and broadcast media all over the world, and he is presently developing TV and book projects.

Mohammed (Mo) Amer is a rising comedy talent of Palestinian origin, raised primarily in Texas. He is the youngest comedian on the Allah Made Me Funny Tour, and he has performed on USO tours in Germany, Italy, Korea and Bahrain and was selected to perform at the Las Vegas Comedy Festival. He has also performed at clubs and colleges all across the United States.

For more information, please visit www.allahmademefunny.com.

About Dave Chappelle

Widely considered the sole inheritor of the comedic genius of the likes of Dick Gregory, Richard Pryor, and Eddie Murphy, Dave Chappelle is America’s top standup comedian. His former Comedy Central sketch show, Chappelle’s Show, continues to hold the record as the #1-selling DVD set of any television program of all time. His film career includes the cult classic Half Baked (which Chappelle co-wrote), The Nutty Professor (with Eddie Murphy), You’ve Got Mail (with Tom Hanks), and, most recently, the eponymous Dave Chappelle’s Block Party, a veritable hip-hop Woodstock on film (directed by Michel Gondry).

About Unity Productions Foundation

Unity Productions Foundation is a nonprofit production company whose mission is to develop balanced, fair and accurate media productions concerning the world’s cultural and spiritual traditions in order to help increase understanding and tolerance. UPF’s first and most successful production to date has been the documentary Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet, which aired on PBS in late 2002 and has since been seen by millions in over 500 broadcasts in the United States and hundreds more around the world. UPF recently completed Prince Among Slaves, a documentary about the incredible true story of Ibrahima Abdul Rahman, an African Muslim prince (co-produced and co-directed by Andrea Kalin and Bill Duke; Narration by Mos Def). The company is also presently developing a feature-length drama based on the documentary to star rapper and actor Mos Def as Ibrahima Abdul Rahman.

For more information, please visit www.upf.tv.