Grateful to be back home in the United States and on the job after a visa security clearance ordeal which left him and his family in limbo overseas for five-plus months, Ahmet Ahmet, a creative director with bicoastal Imaginary Forces, is still seeking a personal sense of closure to the situation. But such a resolution may never be attained or at the very least seems like it will be a long time coming.
As earlier reported (SHOOT, 1/26), Ahmet–along with his wife and daughter–went to London last August to visit his seriously ill mother (who has since passed away) for what was to have been a two-week stay. But when he went to the U.S. Embassy to get his visa approved for a return to Southern California, Ahmet was informed he needed a security clearance.
Obtaining that clearance became a personal and professional nightmare for Ahmet. If not for the support of Imaginary Forces, which paid his salary as well as his family’s housing costs in the U.K. during a protracted period, Ahmet said he would have most likely had to seek employment in Europe and abandon his stateside life and career.
Meanwhile Imaginary Forces had to turn away business with Ahmet overseas in that he is a key creative contributor to the firm.
In the U.K. Ahmet had to deal with a dying mother, he and his wife having to home school their daughter who could not return to her middle school in Los Angeles and the compromising of his reputation by an ongoing investigation. To this day, he cannot get an answer as to why he and his family were detained. He had no opportunity to answer any investigative charge, question or concern, adding to his feeling of helplessness over the situation. Even the public officials who intervened on his behalf–Rep. Jane Harman (D-Venice, Calif.) and U.K. Parliament member Kate Hoey of the British Labor Party–weren’t able to ascertain what the problem was that prevented Ahmet and his family from returning stateside. The only vague explanation offered is that his surname matches those of individuals who are ineligible to enter the United States. However the name Ahmet is fairly common internationally.
Additionally heading into his family trip in summer of ’06, Ahmet thought he would be able to return to the United States in a timely manner based on his experience visiting London in ’04; at that time he was subject to a security clearance that took four months to get. He had reasoned that this time around there would not be an inordinate waiting period since he had a record of having successfully attained a security clearance.
Ahmet’s case raises questions about equitably maintaining the delicate balance of civil liberties and national security. As a law abiding person and an established professional, Ahmet said he had a clear right to come back to the United States and resume his livelihood in a timely manner.
Some six years ago Ahmet was granted a visa to come stateside and work at Imaginary Forces based on his being a talent of extraordinary ability, with credentials that included recognition of this artistry from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. His special ‘O1 visa to work in the United States has since been renewed multiple times, the latest covering this calendar year. At Imaginary Forces he has distinguished himself in features (designing the trailer for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the titles for Spider-Man) and advertising (spots for Ford, Honda and Budweiser).
Now back at Imaginary Forces, Ahmet is at work on a couple of features. “It’s great to return to a busy building,” he said. “One view is that I’m back, fine and it’s over. But I still have to live with the experience–and it could happen again. You ask me what is it like now that the experience is in my rear-view mirror. Well the truth is that it still is close and on my tail even from that perspective. I don’t know why we were put through this. The authorities asked no questions of me or of Imaginary Forces. I have no idea what the nature of the investigation was and have had no opportunity to answer in my or my family’s defense. In light of that, living in this country and operating within the company with some kind of peace of mind is difficult.”
“Anora” Wins Best Film, Director and Actor At The Independent Spirit Awards
Sean Baker's "Anora" won best film, best director and best actor for Mikey Madison at the Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday in what could be a preview of next Sunday's Oscars: The film about a Brooklyn sex worker and her whirlwind affair with a Russian oligarch's son has emerged in recent weeks as an awards season front-runner. The Spirit Awards, held in a beachside tent in Santa Monica, California, is the shaggier, more irreverent sister to the Academy Awards, celebrating the best in independent film and television. Host Aidy Bryant called it "Hollywood's third or fourth biggest night." In accepting the directing prize, Baker spoke passionately about the difficulty of making independent films in an industry that is no longer able to fund riskier films. He said indies are in danger of becoming calling card films — movies made only as a means to get hired for bigger projects. "The system has to change because this is simply unsustainable," Baker said to enthusiastic applause. "We shouldn't be barely getting by." "Anora's" best film competition included Jane Schoenbrun's psychological horror "I Saw the TV Glow," RaMell Ross' adaptation of Colson Whitehead's "Nickel Boys," Greg Kwedar's incarceration drama "Sing Sing" and Coralie Fargeat's body horror "The Substance." This year had several other possible Oscar winners celebrating. Kieran Culkin, considered an Oscar favorite, won the supporting performance award for "A Real Pain." His director, co-star and writer Jesse Eisenberg won best screenplay for the film about two cousins embarking on a Holocaust tour in Poland. Culkin was not there to accept — he also missed his BAFTA win last weekend to tend to a family member — but other Oscar nominees like Madison, Demi Moore, Sebastian Stan and... Read More