Alisher's Gift

Directors:

Writers:

J Matt Wallace

Producers:

J Matt Wallace, Steve Harris, Will Scott

Run Time:

0:15:39

Awarded for the following Category(s):

Awarded Category(s)

An Uzbek and Kyrgyz blended family learns there are more than ethnic issues behind their historic misfortune. The recent death of their uncle Alisher prompts the delivery of gifts to a nephew and niece who learn important truths about both their recent and ancient past.

Submitter Statement

ALISHER's GIFT is a very special project. A global pandemic put this project on the back burner, and after many years, we are thrilled to share this original project with the world. The real-life stories that are woven throughout this fictional tale as hard and often not fully appreciated by those who live in societies where all kinds of freedoms are enjoyed. The asian crew was fantastic and a real blessing to work with. The number of times this project nearly spotted in its tracks was astounding. Even up to the first day of production, it seemed as if all of the work up to that point was going to be for nothing. Ultimately, the story has come together, and it's a blessing to share it now.

J Matt Wallace is a filmmaker based in central Texas on a family farm that was established in 1893. Matt gained experience working as video assist on Texas-based independent film productions and television commercials. Matt still produces custom corporate video for companies and groups around the world. He and his wife, Miriam, have worked and traveled extensively, and his love and interest in diverse cultures is part of the reason the Wallaces named their production company Mustang International. Born and raised in the oil fields of west Texas, Matt excelled academically and musically, played tennis in college, wrote code and built computer networks for his university, and eventually was a managing director at SABRE/American Airlines in technology integration. After leaving that to do non-profit work for over a decade, Matt transitioned into full-time media production through their production company which had been established in 1987. The Wallaces also own and operate a recording studio as part of Mustang International. In 2018, Matt published a book commenting on online culture, and that same year, the short film Tertium Quid was selected for a handful of festivals. For that same film, Wallace and his writing partner were awarded top honors for Dramatic Adaptation at Houston’s Worldfest. Throughout his artistic and professional career, Matt has been a writer of narrative scripts. "Tertium Quid" (2017) was his first official chance to direct a legit film. The experience was gratifying and successful. Filmmaking is now a primary goal with multiple film projects currently in progress. Subsequent projects have included "Adnan Far from Home" (2019) about a Syrian refugee navigating life in Istanbul, "Gal Manns Skrik" (2022) a homage to cult classic horror films, and "Love One Another" (2021) feature documentary film highlighting disciple-making movements in North America.

Key Cast

Zafar Hayqiramiz, Maksat Sadyrbekov, Aidai Sadyrbekova, Sairabubu Myrzaliyeva

Other Credits