Shereen is a Syrian-American director, filmmaker, artist, poet, and podcaster. She self-published her first poetry collection “dime piece” in October 2017, which is available on Amazon. As a filmmaker she writes, directs, produces, shoots, and edits films and music videos, collaborating with musicians, filmmakers, and comedians to creatively push the boundaries of cinema and herself, committed to expressing honest and courageous work.
Her film FALL premiered at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in July 2018 in collaboration with The Future of Film is Female. She co-hosts the podcast Ethnically Ambiguous which she co-created and co-produces with Anna Hossnieh, delving into the experiences of people of color while raising awareness about significant world news. She also co-produces, edits, and films podcasts including Don’t Blame Me! with Meghan Rienks and Not Too Deep with Grace Helbig.
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Staff asked this question
4 years ago
Hi Sheeran, ✋? Big Fan! You are so AWESOME, Love you soooooo much!? Ok for the question, Of all the Short films you have made which one was your favorite to make, or which one was the one that made you love the art of creating Art? lol if that makes Sense
Staff asked this question
4 years ago
*Shereen
Sorry for the misspelling
replied 4 years ago
it’s ok!!! thanks so much for your question, wilmer (:
Staff asked this question
4 years ago
Hi Shereen, thanks so much for coming on. From your perspective, what’s the key to a good podcast episode?
replied 4 years ago
hi tom! thanks for having me on whatpods!!! feels cool to be here.
i think the key to a good podcast episode is being open and candid with your audience
Staff asked this question
4 years ago
How do you personally maintain motivation to continue producing your show?
replied 4 years ago
reminding myself that the content is important! and remembering the positive feedback we’ve received that shows people out there care about the show. i definitely go through phases of fatigue but seeing how supportive our audience is makes it worth it
Staff asked this question
4 years ago
Hi there Shereen where does the job of podcasting stack up with everything else you do in terms of enjoyment?
replied 4 years ago
i enjoy podcasting a lot! i like being able to talk unfiltered and be myself. i also really love meeting and talking to creative people i admire on the show; it’s such a lovely way to both get to know someone and also share them with the world. i love being able to create things, but the podcast lets me just be myself. it’s almost like therapy for me
Staff asked this question
4 years ago
Hi Shereen it’s good to hear from you. Do you have any methods for saving time in post-production of your show?
replied 4 years ago
we’ve gotten pretty good at this point being able to talk freely and not edit out a bunch. we’re lucky that the format of the show is a little more laid back and uncensored, but for me it still really helps me to have an organized document of everything i want to make sure to talk about. it means i have to do more work before the show for prep, but ultimately those are the shows i feel the best about when we’re done recording. the more prepared i am, the better i feel about it
Staff asked this question
4 years ago
Who’s been the most interesting guest on your show? Why were they so interesting?
replied 4 years ago
we’ve had SO many guests that i absolutely love on the show; i feel very grateful for that. alfred molina was a fucking joy to talk to, and reza aslan is was definitely a dream guest as well. molina’s life and path to success is fascinating, and having him on the show and seeing how candid he is – it was so endearing. reignited my faith in humanity, haha. meeting and interacting with aslan was similar to this too – seeing that someone i’ve respected from afar for years was also a phenomenal human. it feels nice to know that respect is well-deserved.
Staff asked this question
4 years ago
Hi Shereen what are the skills u need as a podcaster?
replied 4 years ago
being comfortable with yourself enough to hear your own voice (i’m working on it!!! lol). but seriously, as long as you are passionate and candid, that’s the most important thing to me. also, the ability to let go of a little bit of perfectionism is very important; not editing something over and over and being ok with it just existing in the world. and if you fuck up, you learn from it and move on. ultimately: letting go is important
Staff asked this question
4 years ago
Any tips on interviewing? How do you get your guests to relax and participate well in the conversation?
replied 4 years ago
treat it like a casual conversation. if i don’t know the guest beforehand, talking with them a bit before we start is important so i can get a feel of their personality and sense of humor. i think humor is necessary for me to break the ice – i love making someone laugh, so i’ll usually poke fun at myself to ease the tension a little bit and not have it feel like a formal interview. just have fun!
Staff asked this question
4 years ago
How do you go about getting guests for the show?
replied 4 years ago
usually through friends! anna and i have both lived here for about 7 years so we’re lucky to know a lot of really amazing people. we have our friends on the show a lot and those friends will occasionally recommend guests to us, so it feels pretty organic that way. sometimes i’ll just ask someone out the the blue who i don’t know, but really admire/respect and see if it works – and sometimes it does. but the majority of the times, it’s through our friends and colleagues
replied 4 years ago
^ *here being Los Angeles. we’ve had guests on from a lot of places, but having a good network in LA gives us the opportunity to connect to others elsewhere!
Staff asked this question
4 years ago
Another one from me: Which podcasts do you listen to yourself to inspire your own work?
replied 4 years ago
i’ll be honest – i actually don’t listen to a lot of podcasts. i know, i’m a fraud!!! imposter syndrome is real!!!! but i enjoy watching fun interviews – like Hot Ones, for example. and my parents inspire me a lot when it comes to deciding what topics or news to cover. i’ll listen to the occasional podcast episode if i’m searching for something in particular, but i don’t have regular shows i keep up with. i’m sorry!!!!
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my short film FALL probably! i am obsessed with the filmmaking process and being able to see something i imagined in my head manifest in front of me on a set is a surreal, addicting experience. but to be honest, i wasn’t happy with FALL after i finished it and it sat on my hard drive for about a year and a half. i submitted it on a whim to an independent film platform i LOVE (NoBudge) which is run by a filmmaker i really admire. when he told me he liked the film and wanted to publish it on NoBudge, it was validating in a way i wasn’t anticipating. a lot of people saw the film that way and connected with it, and the responses i got made it all worth it; the premise of FALL was extremely personal and dealt a lot with my mental health / collapse, so having it resonate with people reminded me of reason i create art to begin with. through NoBudge the film screened in at the New York MoMA in 2018, and my mom was sitting right next to me in the movie theater for the premiere. there was a humor in the movie that i thought was too subtle, but being in a theater and hearing an audience react to it was so reassuring. and with my mama right next to me! that experience is one i will cherish forever.