The filmmakers |
Directors: Shashi Buluswar & Renato Velarde Editors: Renato Velarde & Logan Kibens. Additional editing: Saya Hillman Executive producers: Shashi Buluswar & DreamCricket.com Music directors: Matt Fusello and Sharmilla Patil Associate producers: Sumeet Swaroop, Suvam Pal & Yasin Bhatti Still photography: Jennie Terrell Shashi Buluswar was the first Indian to play cricket with the (otherwise all-Pakistani) Chicago Giants. Over the next few years, as the team became a true hybrid of Indians and Pakistanis, Shashi observed a fundamental change in his team-mates and in himself... in how they viewed "the others", and felt this was a story that needed to be told. Shashi works in the field of global development -- economic policy, microfinancing and healthcare -- in developing countries, and on poverty/homelessness in the US. He also serves on the council for Human Rights Watch, an NGO which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its work in ending the use of landmines. In his earlier professional life, he taught at Northwestern University, after which he worked for the consulting firm McKinsey & Company. Prior to rediscovering his love (note: that's "love", not "talent") for cricket, Shashi was on Indian national rowing team for 10 years. This is Shashi's first film, although he has delusions of making more. Renato (Ren) Velarde is a cinematographer and filmmaker who works primarily in documentary film/television. While this is Ren's first feature-length film, he has made several shorter documentary and fictional films over the years, and has worked extensively in the TV world. A partial list of his projects includes Red (short film, Director of Photography), Bridezillas (TV reality show, Cameraman), The Bags (short film, Director & Producer), Camp Twilight (Director of Photography), Transitory images (short film, Director & Producer), and Riverside (short film, Assistant Director). For more on Ren, go to his website. Logan Kibens is a Chicago-based video and multi-media editor, with a long list of works and awards to her name. These include Stupid Kids (winner, best video design at After Dark Awards) and Great Men of Science (nominated for special achievement in video design for the Jeff Awards). She has video editing and composition for a broad range of groups including Chicago Shakespeare Theater (Julius Ceasar), Looking Glass Theater (Race, The Shaggs), Washington (DC) Opera (Don Giovanni), The Second City (Fatty Artbuckle's Spectacular Musical Revue), Steppenwolf Theater (Infidel), Goodman Theater (Drowing Crow, Finishing the Picture) and Ravinia Festival (Sunday in the Park with George). You can find out more about Logan at her website. Saya April Hillman owns a Chicago digital editing business, Mac 'n Cheese Productions. Her first film, dating rubik’s cube, made with a $150 budget, won Best Short Documentary at the Illinois International Film Festival. She teaches video production to elementary and high-school students in economically-challenged neighborhoods across Chicago, creates special event and marketing DVDs, and traveled to Rwanda, Africa to create a promo film for a non-profit. More about Saya at her website. Matt Fusello is better known to many as his alter-ego Rahiohiro. In addition to doing the sound engineering, he has (with Sharmilla Patil) composed a good portion of the music in the film, and recorded with various other illustrious musicians to create the rest of the film's scores. He is rewriting the sounds of London's "Asian Underground" style with a tough new incarnation called "Asian Massive", a sound best described as bass induced breakbeats/electronica with lush classical Indian and bollywood mixtures. The long list of musicians that he has worked with includes: the percussion genius Zakir Hussain, John McLaughlin, the violinist L.Shankar, Karsh Kale, Vishwamohan Bhatt and Hariprasad Chaurasia. He has been given rave reviews in media portals such as Time Magazine, XLR8R, Time Out, The Chicago Tribune, The Chicago Reader, Rhapsody Music, NPR, CLTV, Flavorpill, Bhopadum, and New City. He has also worked with a broad range of record companies including: Blue Note, Verve, Astralwerks, Stereolab, Sony, MCA.
MUSICAL CONTRIBUTIONS In recognition of the not-for-profit nature of the project, a number of very distinguished musicians have generously contributed their work. For many independent films, musical scores constitute the highest -- often prohibitive -- cost item. Hence, it is with the greatest sincerity that we thank the following musicians/bands, without whose generosity the film would not haven been possible: Charushree Swaminathan
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