Bilal's Stand (2009)

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A teenager's ambitions for his future aren't the same that his family has for him in this independent comedy-drama. Bilal (Julian Gant) is an Arab-American high school student from Detroit. Bilal's family runs a downtown cab stand that's a hangout for folks in the neighborhood and has been the… More A teenager's ambitions for his future aren't the same that his family has for him in this independent comedy-drama. Bilal (Julian Gant) is an Arab-American high school student from Detroit. Bilal's family runs a downtown cab stand that's a hangout for folks in the neighborhood and has been the family's bread and butter for decades. Bilal works at the stand in his spare time and works hard to keep his grades up; his parents are proud of their son and look forward to the day he takes over the business. But Bilal has other ideas; he wants to go on to college, and has taken up ice sculpture in hopes of winning a scholarship competition. When Bilal's family finds out about his secret plans, the young man has to chose between his loyalties to his family and his obligations to himself. The first feature film from writer and director Sultan Sharrief, Bilal's Stand was produced as part of a program affiliated with the University of Michigan to encourage young filmmakers, and was an official entry at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi