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I'm a creator in the worlds of film, television, music, and theatre. Most recently I am the composer & lyricist behind BEETHOVEN: LIVE IN CONCERT, a rock musical about Beethoven's revolutionary life which premieres May 15th at The Green Room 42. In June 2022, my stageplay BEANS AND RICE premiered at the New York Theater Festival, where we won Best Supporting Actress.

My most recent short film, BENSON'S PLAYGROUND, was finalist and award-winner at a dozen film festivals internationally and premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood in 2020. My documentary I AM SYRIA reveals the journey of Syrian refugees fleeing to Stuttgart, Germany, and screened in lectures at Harvard University and the Capital Region Institute for Human Rights. My feature screenplay THE GREAT CAROLINA HOTEL was a finalist for the Michael Collyer Memorial Fellowship in Screenwriting. I graduated from NYU's Film & Television program in 2020.

At 15 and 16 I created two web series, OPUS 12 and OFFICE, and a three-part prequel film, BELWATCH. I featured over 60 student artists and my series won a dozen awards at various festivals. My pilot screenplay LOSING HOPE was quarterfinalist and semifinalist at several screenwriting competitions.

I have written all of my scores to date, and compose scores for others. At 16, I played the title role in The Phantom Of The Opera and was nominated for Best Actor at the Proctors High School Musical Theatre AwardsI performed at Carnegie Hall for the Honors Performance Series Choir, and studied composition at the Eastman School of Music. In 2021, I performed a five-month Dueling Pianos contract aboard the MSC Seashore; I currently play a weekly show at the Green Fig in Midtown Manhattan.

Hey! Welcome to my site.

My name's Jad.

I'm a Writer, Actor, Composer, and Humanitarian.

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NEW YORK THEATER FESTIVAL - BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - SARAH SINCLAIR
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MY WORK

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SOMETHING STUPID

BEANS AND RICE

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BELWATCH

OPUS 12

BEANS AND RICE

BEETHOVEN: MAY WORKSHOP

2022

TSQ RESOLUTIONS: DUELING PIANOS

2021

LOSING HOPE: PILOT

THE GREAT CAROLINA HOTEL

BENSON'S PLAYGROUND

2020

2019

2018

AN IMPERFECT CURE

TUESDAY NIGHTS

WAITING FOR JERRY

2017

I AM SYRIA

OFFICE

IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE

2015-16

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2012

GOIN' DOWN ABOVE AND UP UNDER

2023

THE GREEN ROOM 42: DUELING PIANOS

BEETHOVEN: SPRING CONCERT

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Beans And Rice (2022)

  • BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS (Sarah Sinclair) - New York Theater Festival

  • PREMIERENew York Theater Festival

The Great Carolina Hotel (2020)

  • FINALISTMichael Collyer Memorial Fellowship in Screenwriting

  • SEMI-FINALISTGoldman Award, SWN Screenplay Competition

  • 8/10 EVALUATIONThe Black List

  • 7/10 EVALUATIONThe Black List

  • 7/10 EVALUATIONThe Black List

Benson's Playground (2020)

  • FINALIST, BEST ORIGINAL SCORELonely Wolf International Film Festival

  • FINALIST, BEST STUDENT DIRECTOR (MALE)IndieX Film Fest

  • FINALIST, BEST STUDENT SHORT, New York World Film Festival

  • FINALIST: The Cutting Room Int'l Short Film Festival, JellyFEST Film Festival 

  • SEMI-FINALIST: New York No Limits Film Series, Student LA Film Awards

  • AWARD OF RECOGNITION: LEAD ACTOR (Paul Albe) - IndieFEST Film Awards

  • AWARD OF RECOGNITION: FILM SHORT, IndieFEST Film Awards

  • OFFICIAL SELECTION, Golden State Film Festival

  • OFFICIAL SELECTION, Int'l New York Film Festival

  • OFFICIAL SELECTION, New York Lift-Off Film Festival

  • OFFICIAL SELECTION, Tisch Fringe Festival​​

Losing Hope: PILOT (2020)

  • SEMIFINALIST, 2021 Scriptation Showcase Script Competition

  • QUARTERFINALIST, 2021 ScreenCraft TV Pilot Script Competition

  • QUARTERFINALIST, Page Turner Screenplays 4th Annual First 15 Competition

Something Stupid (2019)

  • PREMIERE, 2019 Brandspankin' New Works Festival

Tuesday Nights (2018)

  • OFFICIAL SELECTION, Sight & Sound Showcase Fall 2018

Waiting For Jerry (2018)

  • BEST COMEDY SHORT, Avalonia Festival II

  • OFFICIAL SELECTION, Motion Pictures Int'l Film Festival

I Am Syria (2017)

  • OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE, Docs Without Borders Film Festival

  • GOLD AWARD, International Independent Film Awards

  • BRONZE AWARD, Spotlight Documentary Film Awards

  • NOMINATED, RALPH F. BOYD AWARD, Schenectady Human Rights Commission

  • DR. JOHN YOUNGBLOOD MEMORIAL BOOK AWARD IN THE FINE ARTS

The Phantom Of The Opera (2017)

  • NOMINATION - BEST ACTOR, Proctors High School Musical Theatre Awards, 2017

  • WINNER - BEST MUSICAL, BEST SET CONSTRUCTION, BEST TECHNICAL EXECUTION

OFFICE (2017)

  • OUTSTANDING FILMMAKER OF THE YEAR, NHS Short Cuts

  • OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SCORE, NHS Short Cuts

  • SILVER AWARD, International Independent Film Awards

  • OFFICIAL SELECTION, 3rd Annual Web Series Festival Global

    • AWARD OF EXCEPTIONAL MERIT: WEBISODE PILOT | ORIGINAL SCORE

    • AWARD OF MERIT: SCRIPT/WRITER | COSTUME DESIGN

  • OFFICIAL SELECTION, WRPN.TV Global Webisode Competition

  • CERTIFICATE OF MERIT, Niskayuna HS Art Department

It's Not What It Looks Like (2017)

  • BEST FICTION/STORY, Rod Serling Film Festival

  • OUTSTANDING DIRECTING, Media Arts Festival 2017

  • OUTSTANDING COMEDY, Media Arts Festival 2017

  • OUTSTANDING DIRECTING, NHS Short Cuts

  • OUTSTANDING COMEDY, NHS Short Cuts

  • OUTSTANDING ACTRESS - HANNAH DAVIS, NHS Short Cuts

  • SILVER AWARD, International Independent Film Awards

  • OFFICIAL SELECTION, Orlando Film Festival

  • OFFICIAL SELECTION, Ballston Spa Film Festival

  • OFFICIAL SELECTION, The Set NYC Short Film Screenings

Why God? (2017)

  • BEST ORIGINAL SCORE, Ballston Spa International Short Film Festival

Doodle (2017)

  • OFFICIAL SELECTION, Ballston Spa International Short Film Festival

Opus 12 (2015-2016)

  • MOST PROMISING NEW YOUNG FILMMAKER, NHS Short Cuts

  • OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR, NHS Short Cuts

  • OUTSTANDING ACTOR - ETHAN SCHALEKAMP, NHS Short Cuts

  • OUTSTANDING ACTRESS - HANNAH DAVIS, NHS Short Cuts

  • RIT INNOVATION & CREATIVITY AWARD, Niskayuna HS

  • CERTIFICATE OF MERIT, Niskayuna HS Art Department

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