Film, Music, Theatre

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

My most recent short film, BENSON'S PLAYGROUND, was an international finalist and award-winner, and premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood in 2020. My documentary on Syrian refugees living in Germany, I AM SYRIA, has screened at Harvard University and across the Northeast. My feature and television screenplays; shorts; and web series; have been recognized internationally - most recently, as a finalist for the Michael Collyer Memorial Fellowship in Screenwriting.

In 2021, spent five months aboard the MSC Seashore playing a dueling pianos show across the Mediterranean and Caribbean; in 2022-23, I had a weekly piano bar residency at the Green Fig in Midtown Manhattan. I am currently the resident Music Director of Yaya Theatre Academy in Shenzhen, China!

Hi! Welcome to my site.

My name's Jad.

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

CHECK OUT MORE BEETHOVEN!

MY WORK

SOMETHING STUPID

BEANS AND RICE

BELWATCH

OPUS 12

BEANS AND RICE

BEETHOVEN: MAY WORKSHOP

2022

MSC SEASHORE: 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

2023

GREEN FIG: DUELING PIANOS

BEETHOVEN: GR42 CONCERT

2012

GOIN' DOWN ABOVE AND UP UNDER

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Beans And Rice (2022)

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

The Great Carolina Hotel (2020)

FINALIST, Michael Collyer Memorial Fellowship in Screenwriting
SEMI-FINALIST, Goldman Award, SWN Screenplay Competition
8/10 EVALUATION, The Black List
7/10 EVALUATION, The Black List
7/10 EVALUATION, The Black List

Benson's Playground (2020)

FINALIST, BEST ORIGINAL SCORE, Lonely 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