A few hours before showtime, I was sitting on the edge of my bed, trying to put on a sock, and my back seized up. I could barely move. Two hundred people were about to show up for a night I had poured everything into, and I could barely stand.
Let me back up.
How it started
My sister Lena is a film director, and excitement in the family had been building as her third feature film, Best of the Best, got ready to premiere on Netflix the weekend of September 18th. My siblings and I were invited to the actual premiere in New York, and somewhere in all that excitement I got an idea: what if we hosted our own private screening back home in Orange County?
My siblings and I share a lot of mutual friends, and each of us has plenty of our own. So many of them wanted to see the film that it felt like a waste to just tell everyone to watch it on their couch. I wanted somewhere fun, but not too far removed from a real theater experience.
Finding the room
I started out talking to the Frida Cinema in Santa Ana, but they were booked solid. Then it hit me: New Horizon Upper School & Community Center in Irvine has a state-of-the-art theater, and I happen to know the facilities director, Bassem Rashidi, very well. We were old rec league basketball teammates. Our team was called The Shawarmups. I named it, but that is a story for another time.
Bassem was just as excited to have New Horizon host the night. They had just installed a brand new large screen and projector, and when he demoed the A/V for me, the sound system blew me away. Lena approved, and we were on.
I don’t do anything halfway
When I produce something, I tend to go all out, and this was no exception. I kind of forced my siblings, and especially my brother’s wife, to take on a lot more than they signed up for, because I was determined to make it a fun night for everyone.
So I came up with a plan, a program, and… tickets. Real ones. Individually numbered digital tickets, styled like the passes in your phone’s wallet, each with the guest’s name on it. Very official. The dress code was Hollywood Chic or Bollywood Glam.
I designed a trivia reel to run on the big screen during the walk-in, like the slides you see before the trailers at a movie theater. And I picked a classic, Indian-themed cartoon short to play before the feature. The crowd loved it.
All 201 tickets sold out.
The printed program. Dress code: Hollywood Chic or Bollywood Glam.
The cause
Most importantly, the night had a purpose. We partnered with the Bukrah Foundation, a volunteer-run organization with no overhead that provides humanitarian aid and education for children in Gaza. Every dollar guests gave, ticket sales and donations alike, went to Bukrah. My family covered the costs of putting on the evening ourselves, so nothing came out of what our guests gave.
I also printed a donation QR code on every single ticket and put it on screen during the walk-in. That one small step brought in a meaningful amount on its own, given straight to the foundation, on top of everything collected at the door.
When I made the ask from the stage, I did not have to talk in generalities. One of Bukrah’s founders, Ahlia Kattan, was sitting in the room, so I could tell everyone exactly where their money was going. We missed her co-founder, Sameer Khan, who couldn’t make it. I also recognized four physicians in the audience who had done medical relief work in Gaza.
The donation screen during the walk-in. The same QR code was printed on every ticket.
The entrance
Right after the cartoon short ended, the music kicked in and I came out to surprise everyone, busting out a few moves from my old UCLA Bhangra team days. Fitting, since the film is about a UCLA dance team. Confetti came down, I grabbed the mic, revved up the crowd, and got people out of their seats.
Did I mention my back?
The surprise entrance. Confetti, sunglasses, and a few old UCLA Bhangra moves.
Working the room
From there I did some crowd work and had fun with the guests, basically a mini stand-up set. Knowing so many people in the room made it easy. I had also lined up a few visual jokes with the A/V crew, timed to hit the screen at exactly the right moment.
Then I gave a warm welcome to Lena, who spoke about the film and thanked everyone for coming.
Crowd work and a little stand-up before the feature.
After the credits
The movie got a fantastic round of applause. Afterward I hosted a Q&A with Lena, and since I knew so many people in the crowd, I had some fun with both her and the audience along the way.
Then everyone headed out to the foyer for a red carpet reception with refreshments. For a lot of people it turned into a reunion with friends they had not seen in years.
Q&A with director Lena Khan after the screening.
About that back
The morning of the event, I was carrying crates of water bottles into the New Horizon foyer and tweaked my back. Not a big deal, I thought. Then I got home to get ready, sat down to put on my socks, and my back spasmed. I could barely move.
Luckily, a good friend of mine who was coming to the event happened to be in town, and she got me medicated and standing up straight in time to walk, dance, and perform. The show must go on. Her follow-up instructions afterward were very clear: Epsom salt baths, Voltaren gel, and no bending, lifting, twisting, or wearing socks.
From the group chats
A few of the messages that came in after the show:
“Thank you so much for bringing everyone together and making it such a special and memorable experience for all of us!”
“And of course your performance… priceless lol.”
“Great program last night dude! Glad you were feeling better for your performance, although we all were holding our breath that you didn’t get injured again!”
“I was not prepared. You can tell my shot missed the grand entrance!”
“Had a great time last night. You put it over the top.”
Thank you
To Lena, for making a film this joyful and letting her brother turn its release into a production. To Bassem and everyone at New Horizon, for opening up that beautiful theater. To my siblings, and especially my sister-in-law, for putting up with me. To the Bukrah Foundation, for the work they do every day. To our photographer, for capturing it all. And to the 201 people who showed up, laughed, and gave: you made the night.
A few days later, Best of the Best hit No. 1 on Netflix’s global daily movie chart. I would like to think our screening had something to do with it. It did not. But I would like to think so.