Books
Sammy Sheik Wins Best Actor for “I Am Gitmo” at Marbella International Film Festival 2023
Written and directed by Philippe Diaz (The End of Poverty?, Now and Later), the film was also nominated for Best Film and Best Director at the festival and will be released in January 2024 to mark the 21st anniversary since the prison took in its first prisoners. It features bravura performances by Sheik (American Sniper, NCIS: Los Angeles) and Eric Pierpoint (Liar, Liar, Alien Nation) who plays his interrogator.
Inspired by the declassified legal hearings of earlier detainees, the story takes place in 2002 and revolves around Gamel Sadek, an Egyptian man living in Afghanistan with his family who is sold for a bounty, taken from his home, and delivered to the CIA under suspicion of terrorism. He is first sent to Bagram Air Base where he is brutally interrogated and tortured, then flown to Guantanamo prison where his status as an “enemy combatant” does not offer—according to the Bush administration—protection under the Geneva Convention.
According to the Center for Constitutional Rights, 780 men and boys, all of them Muslim, have been imprisoned over time at Guantánamo since January 2002. 86 percent were sold to the United States during a time when the U.S. military was offering large bounties for capture; commonly, $5,000 was offered per man.
Sheik says: “I’m honored to be a part of telling this very important story. For the first time, the narrative is being told from the point of view of one of the many victims of the so-called “war on terror” and the grave injustices he and many others had to endure, without the usual idolization of the western hero that Hollywood has been presenting for years.”
For the first time, the treatment that Guantanamo’s Arab Muslim prisoners experienced upon detainment is told from their point of view. “The movie I Am Gitmo by my friend Philippe Diaz, scarily brings back, in high resolution, the suffering and the stories I lived through firsthand. It was a hard watch for me. Please watch it to understand what I mean,” says Mohamedou ould Slahi, a former Guantanamo prisoner and author of the international best-selling book The Guantanamo Diaries.
Born in Alexandria, Egypt, Sheik is known for roles in the movies American Sniper and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. He has had recurring roles in television series including the hit Canal + series The Bureau, Scandal, Homeland, 24, United States of Tara, The Unit, NCIS, and Lost. He is currently in Egypt taping the televises series, Hashasheen.
Diaz says, “This award for Sammy Sheik is much deserved. Sammy did a wonderful job as Gamel, when the character cries, Sammy’s tears are real as is his fear and his anger. I hope Sammy’s performance and this movie can aid the #CloseGuantanamo campaign asking President Joe Biden to close this infamous prison.”
Of the 780 men originally incarcerated and tortured at Guantanamo, 86% of whom were sold for a bounty, 30 remain imprisoned today. Of those brought to Guantanamo, only eight were convicted of crimes, and of those men, four had those convictions reversed. (source: Center for Constitutional Rights)
The film was produced by Cinema Libre Studio.
Trailer at: www.IAmGitmoFilm.com
Learn more at Facebook and Instagram: @IAmGitmoFilm
About Cinema Libre Studio: Cinema Libre Studio is a full-service mini studio known for producing and distributing high-quality feature films and social impact documentaries. Headquartered in the Los Angeles area, the team has released over 200 films.
www.cinemalibrestudio.com | www.facebook.com/cinemalibrestudio | twitter.com/cinemalibre
Press Update For Studio CarryOnHarry
Find Holiday Deals Flights Attractions and Hotels !
Get Interviewed
Save on Travel with Trip.com (ENG)
For Interviews At Studio CarryOnHarry Online Submission Form Click Here
Powered by SgAiSolution
Related Posts
New Fantasy Novel Explores Orphan’s Journey Through Magic and Danger
Balle Balle Radio™ Entertainment Desk Author C. A. Ballard has released a debut fantasy novel, "The Lost Legacy," following a…
Ex-XM Executive’s Memoir Recalls Satellite Radio Launch Delayed by 9/11
Balle Balle Radio™ Entertainment Desk Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks postponed its debut, a founding XM executive has…
‘SALIGIA’ Inverts the Seven Deadly Sins: New Book Explores Virtues Through Mythological Fantasy
Balle Balle Radio Entertainment Desk Author Tagore Almeida's new book, "SALIGIA: The Evil Is Outside. The War Is Within.," is…
Former Navy Serviceman Crafts Spiritual Thriller Linking Esther’s Story to Modern Crisis
Balle Balle Radio Entertainment Desk Terry Ginn has published "For Such a Time as This," a contemporary military thriller that…
New Memoir Traces Survivor’s Path From San Juan Poverty to Career Helping Military Sexual Assault Victims
Balle Balle Radio Entertainment Desk A recently released memoir chronicles one woman's path from childhood hardship in San Juan, Puerto…
California Inmate Claims Pre-9/11 Warning in Newly Published Memoir
Balle Balle Radio Entertainment Desk A new book from an author who has been incarcerated in California since 1999 claims…
Balle Balle Radio™ Entertainment Desk
Author Erin Strong is offering her novel "She Never Left Ground Zero: A Novel of Courage, Love, and the Hidden Cost of 9/11" as a free download through September 30, according to the announcement. No registration, email address, purchase, subscription, or review is required, and coincides with the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
The novel is fiction but draws on the real experience of an NYPD officer, per the announcement. It centers on Sofia Vega, an NYPD officer whose work amid the smoke and debris in the aftermath leads to lasting consequences she and her family must face. Strong has said she wanted to write about what happened to first responders and their families after press coverage of the attacks faded — a theme that echoes a broader body of anniversary-year 9/11 literature, including nonfiction essay collections and survivor accounts published or reissued around the same milestone.
According to Strong, "I wanted to tell a deeply personal story about what happened after the television cameras moved on." "Many first responders and their families continued living with the consequences of September 11 for years. This novel honors their courage, their sacrifices, and the people who loved them through it all."
The free download is available at sheneverleftgroundzero.com. The book will also remain for sale on Amazon and other retailers after the promotional window closes. Strong’s team can be reached through the same website or by phone.
Studio CarryOnHarry Perspective
At Studio CarryOnHarry, we see Strong’s September timing as a textbook example of anniversary marketing strategy. Major commemorative dates like the 25th anniversary of 9/11 generate enormous search volume and media attention—precisely when potential readers are already thinking about the subject matter. By anchoring a free promotion to this peak-interest window, authors capture visibility they’d need to spend significantly on advertising to achieve otherwise. The counterintuitive logic: giving away the book for free during high-traffic periods can actually drive more long-term sales than traditional paid campaigns, because it builds audience reach, generates word-of-mouth momentum, and establishes the title in readers’ minds before the promotional window closes. When the book returns to paid status in October, those who downloaded it free become natural candidates for follow-up engagement—reviews, recommendations, and future purchases. It’s a calculated play on consumer psychology and search behavior that extends the book’s commercial lifespan well beyond September.
Read more People’s Choice stories on Studio CarryOnHarry. Reporting via Live News Vault.
Press Releases at Studio CarryOnHarry
Powered by SgAiSolution
Related Posts
New Fantasy Novel Explores Orphan’s Journey Through Magic and Danger
Balle Balle Radio™ Entertainment Desk Author C. A. Ballard has released a debut fantasy novel, "The Lost Legacy," following a…
Ex-XM Executive’s Memoir Recalls Satellite Radio Launch Delayed by 9/11
Balle Balle Radio™ Entertainment Desk Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks postponed its debut, a founding XM executive has…
‘SALIGIA’ Inverts the Seven Deadly Sins: New Book Explores Virtues Through Mythological Fantasy
Balle Balle Radio Entertainment Desk Author Tagore Almeida's new book, "SALIGIA: The Evil Is Outside. The War Is Within.," is…
Former Navy Serviceman Crafts Spiritual Thriller Linking Esther’s Story to Modern Crisis
Balle Balle Radio Entertainment Desk Terry Ginn has published "For Such a Time as This," a contemporary military thriller that…
New Memoir Traces Survivor’s Path From San Juan Poverty to Career Helping Military Sexual Assault Victims
Balle Balle Radio Entertainment Desk A recently released memoir chronicles one woman's path from childhood hardship in San Juan, Puerto…
California Inmate Claims Pre-9/11 Warning in Newly Published Memoir
Balle Balle Radio Entertainment Desk A new book from an author who has been incarcerated in California since 1999 claims…
Balle Balle Radio™ Entertainment Desk
Author C. A. Ballard has released a debut fantasy novel, "The Lost Legacy," following a young orphan protagonist drawn into a battle against a malevolent force seeking to strip the world of its magical power, according to the publisher’s announcement.
The book comes from Newman Springs Publishing, a New Jersey-based author-services publisher that works with writers across genres to produce and distribute their books; the company is handling both publication and promotion for the title. The novel is available in stores and through major digital retailers, including Amazon, Apple, Google Play and Barnes & Noble.
According to the publisher, Zara must safeguard her sibling while partnering with an ensemble of fantastical beings including fae warriors, mythical creatures, and magical beings to combat darkness — against an antagonist seeking to strip the world of its magic.
Ballard, described in the release as a wife, mother and grandmother with a background in accounting and medical billing, said medical challenges led her to pursue creative endeavors. "I wanted to craft deeply engaging stories about everyday individuals finding remarkable capabilities within themselves," Ballard said in a statement. "Zara’s story is about finding your tribe, embracing your power, and refusing to surrender to darkness." The publisher’s announcement notes additional projects from Ballard are already in development.
There is no independent review coverage of "The Lost Legacy" available yet; retail listings confirm the book’s publication details but do not offer critical assessment. Readers interested in the book can find purchase links through the publisher’s website or major retailers.
Studio CarryOnHarry Perspective
At Studio CarryOnHarry, we recognize that Ballard’s ensemble approach—layering fae warriors, mythical creatures, and magical beings alongside a resourceful orphan protagonist—speaks directly to a defining shift in contemporary fantasy publishing. Today’s YA and new-adult readers expect worldbuilding that extends beyond a single chosen one; they crave diverse supernatural allies and complex team dynamics that reflect both traditional mythology and modern storytelling sensibilities. Zara’s "finding your tribe" arc taps into this broader cultural moment where belonging and chosen family rival the hero’s individual journey. As the fantasy market continues to reward narratives emphasizing collective strength over solitary heroism, Ballard’s decision to populate her world with multiple fantastical perspectives positions "The Lost Legacy" within reader expectations that have reshaped the genre over the past five years. This matters because debut authors who understand—and authentically execute—these ensemble-driven narratives are better positioned to build engaged readerships from launch.
Read more People’s Choice stories on Studio CarryOnHarry. Reporting via Live News Vault.
Press Releases at Studio CarryOnHarry
Powered by SgAiSolution
Related Posts
Author Releases Novel About First Responder’s Life After 9/11 at No Cost
Balle Balle Radio™ Entertainment Desk Author Erin Strong is offering her novel "She Never Left Ground Zero: A Novel of…
Ex-XM Executive’s Memoir Recalls Satellite Radio Launch Delayed by 9/11
Balle Balle Radio™ Entertainment Desk Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks postponed its debut, a founding XM executive has…
‘SALIGIA’ Inverts the Seven Deadly Sins: New Book Explores Virtues Through Mythological Fantasy
Balle Balle Radio Entertainment Desk Author Tagore Almeida's new book, "SALIGIA: The Evil Is Outside. The War Is Within.," is…
Former Navy Serviceman Crafts Spiritual Thriller Linking Esther’s Story to Modern Crisis
Balle Balle Radio Entertainment Desk Terry Ginn has published "For Such a Time as This," a contemporary military thriller that…
New Memoir Traces Survivor’s Path From San Juan Poverty to Career Helping Military Sexual Assault Victims
Balle Balle Radio Entertainment Desk A recently released memoir chronicles one woman's path from childhood hardship in San Juan, Puerto…
California Inmate Claims Pre-9/11 Warning in Newly Published Memoir
Balle Balle Radio Entertainment Desk A new book from an author who has been incarcerated in California since 1999 claims…
-
Books4 days ago‘SALIGIA’ Inverts the Seven Deadly Sins: New Book Explores Virtues Through Mythological Fantasy
-
Editor's Choice5 days agoBatwara 1947 Box Office: Sunny Deol Film Eyes Rs 80 Cr Loss
-
Books4 days agoCalifornia Inmate Claims Pre-9/11 Warning in Newly Published Memoir
-
TV & MOVIES4 days agoNetflix India’s August Release ‘Pyaar Prema Kalyanam’ Challenges Marriage Expectations Through Humor
-
Books4 days agoFormer Navy Serviceman Crafts Spiritual Thriller Linking Esther’s Story to Modern Crisis
-
Interviews4 days agoNetflix Groups Book Adaptations Under New ‘Watch Your Favorite Books’ Collection