foatbāl is a narrative drama set on the day before the big game, an older Afghan man named Hamid, Coach of the Alameda Afghans soccer team, invites his two star players, Aaron, the captain & Mustafa, goalkeeper, over to his home during Ramadan for a home-cooked Kabob reconciliation dinner. however, it's not that simple.... the two star players happen to be Hamid's son & nephew… making this a family matter that's very personal for everybody involved.

our three main characters represent different motivations, pieces to the game of soccer, and three specific key memories from the past & present that are brought up while they make the Kabob dinner. Mustafa & Aaron are younger men with so much to learn & Hamid, the elder, represents the future with mistakes that can be overcome as long as there's care put into everything.

foatbāl offers an exploration that deconstructs nostalgia, toxic masculinity, reconciliation, soccer, legacy, and Afghan cultural heritage. we aim to not look back too much but to honor the present & see how we can move on from who we were & where we will go.

we need this. there's never been a film like this. it's true. most films about afghans have been purely made about terrorism & war, especially afghans dealing with trauma from war. those stories should be told but shouldn't be the only story being told. there's also the common "dude bro male cinema" world where a guy will say that his favorite movie is american psycho, fight club, goodfellas, blah blah blah you get it! those are all bangers but!!!! we need something like this. something honest. something true. we aim to create a film that's never been made before, for everybody. it's all about creating a feeling & leaving you with a question that will hopefully stick with you.

when i was a baby my mom took me to the indian cinema to watch "kuch kuch hota hai" a lovely bollywood film about love. apparently i was quiet during the entirety of its runtime! i guess that was the moment the film bug bit me... maybe i was born with this aspiration but i really loved the moments we would go to blockbuster or hollywood video as my dad picked out the most popular film of the week, i would get caught into the different isles of genre especially horror catching my attention. the images haunted me & became an obsession. even though i didn't see the film, i created whatever story i could in my head. it just kept growing & growing. we watched movies every night as a family. going to the cinema as a kid was heaven, it was a rare treat. occasionally we would watch a film about afghanistan and it would be the saddest thing i've ever seen. so one day my uncle gets a call about being an extra in the kite runner film in 2007. i was in the third grade & i remember skipping my class christmas party to be in a movie. i arrived on set at 5am with my mom. there was tents, crew and all types of people! my job was to kick a soccer ball to another kid. when it came time to filming, the panavision 35mm camera started rolling. the camera operated was being pushed on the dolly and suddenly i started doing my job, i was kicking a soccer ball to another kid. we were told not to look at the camera (of course) and i almost did... however i wasn't in the final cut of the film! something stuck out to me. that feeling. the feeling of pretend & the immortalization of that moment on celluloid forever. origin aside... it feels like it's been my life mission to do this.

i didn't go to film school. that's ok. i just want to make my favorite movie that doesn't exist, yet!

- writer & director, abe nevin

NEVINfilm is an Afghan-American film production company founded in Hayward, CA by Abe & Adam Nevin.

we aim to tell stories about Afghan-Americans that are honest & exciting through film, television. not only aiming our focus towards Afghans but also anybody who has something wonderful to say.

SafariiiCAMP is an artist’s workspace hosting curated experiences in Oakland, CA.

many of safariiicamp's resident artists including (writer & director, abe, producer amal, adolmar & actor adeeb) are working on this film & bringing their unique talents to this production! we are honored to have safariiicamp as a producer.

foatbāl is produced entirely by NEVINfilm & SafariiiCAMP.

our three main characters:

aaron

captain of the Alameda AFGHANS SC, mustafa's cousin & hamid's son.

aaron is all about the game on & off the field. he wants to win & that makes sense because he cares about legacy a bit too much. we all know those kinds of people but aaron's conflict gets to him every day. will the cycle ever end for him? or is it time to make peace?

mustafa

goalkeeper of the Alameda AFGHANS SC, aaron's cousin & hamid's nephew.

mustafa is the best at guessing the time of the day, he'll tell you about his recent vacation in thorough detail & make you the most delicious meal with love. mustafa's life off & on the field is almost the same. he loves everybody & the world. whatever happens, happens, as long as mustafa is around the people he loves, it'll be alright.

hamid

coach of the Alameda AFGHANS SC, mustafa's uncle & aaron's dad.

hamid first came to america in the 80s, literally on day one, he was stuck with two options, either join a gang or play soccer at his high school. of course you already know what option he chose! soccer has been his life, he loves his family but obstacles come in the way always... you can't always be the winner. it's worth trying but hamid's has a certain itch that a scratch wouldn't even fix. for hamid, it's all about maintaining his goal from day one...

our film is also sprinkled with many memorable side characters on & off the field! we'll surprise you with them if we get to make the film (with your help of course) !!!!!

it all started with this photo of our dad. what was the story behind the image? how was my dad young & in high school?

the story was.... after our dad immigrated to Hayward, CA; his option was to join a gang or play soccer. he obviously chose soccer & yes similar to coach hamid's backstory in this film, it was a choice for many Afghan immigrants in the 80s, especially the bay area. our film isn't about this story, however it's more about what came after that? when their generation grew up & their kids are learning from their glory.

we became apart of our father's soccer legacy... we played our hearts out however we weren't the best. as great as soccer was we found a bigger appreciation in cinema.

this campaign will last 30 days.

we're hoping to raise $16k to make this film come to life. so we can start production in november 2025! all of the money that you all helped raise will be used to pay for the production, especially for the 16mm film camera + film stock & development. of course, we can't forget about taking care of our cast & crew & feeding them every day on set! can't forget post-production & the festival submissions (amazing) !!

$10k is what we need to even keep any of the money! it's true! we've got some awesome incentives if you want something a lil extra for your hard earned bucks!

your support is much needed! there's only so much we could do but in order to make something amazing it starts with you! every share, repost, comment, like... it matters! follow us on IG at @foatbalfilm (film's ig) @nevinfilm & @safariiicamp (production companies) to stay up on date with our film!

stretch goals:

$18k would be nice to have for the cast & crew among craft services, wardrobe & many other goodies! we wanna take care of everybody. if you believe in us, we got you.

$20k will help with the extra technical stuff regarding the celluloid film aspect. every detail is important. the fact that we would even be able to make this film is a blessing!

$22k holy moly..... more festival submissions and a bigger net of creativity for everybody involved! more eyes on the film the more dreams that'll come true!!

after completion, we want to submit this into festivals. hopefully that gets the eyes & excitement from producers that could help turn this into a feature film!

this short film version of foatbāl isn't a summary of the bigger picture but a scene from the feature film! there's a bigger story to tell here! we really believe in the power of this short & hopeful of the opportunities it could bring to us! there's definitely an audience that wants to see something like this on the big screen!

we can't thank you enough for reading this & believing in us!

we'll see ya on the field :)