Akouri to Welcome Lebanese Actress/Director Nadine Labaki at Private Reception & Sneak Preview of her Debut Film

(BIRMINGHAM, MI)...Magazine publisher John Akouri will formally welcome Lebanese actress and director Nadine Labaki when she arrives in Michigan next week. The Lebanese American News Agency, whose publications include Lebanese Monthly Magazine, will host a private champagne reception in her honor. The invitation-only special event will take place prior to an advanced screening of her newest film CARAMEL(Sukkar Banat) and feature some of the area's most influential Lebanese Americans. Also on hand to greet the award-winning director will be acting Consul General of Lebanon H.E. Bachir S. Tawk. Akouri will then introduce Ms. Labaki to an audience of hundreds expected to attend and just prior to the start of the advance screening scheduled to take place in Birmingham. Following the film, the actress will then take questions from the movie-goers moderated by Akouri. CARAMEL is the Lebanese selection for the Academy Award Best Foreign Language Film, and the feature film debut by writer-director and star Nadine Labaki. The thirty-three year-old thespian gathered a delightful ensemble cast of non-professional actors. Born in Lebanon, she studied film at the Université Saint-Joseph in Beirut, and went on to direct many award-winning music videos and commercials. She was selected to develop the CARAMEL screenplay at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival’s Writers’ Residence. The sleeper hit of the Cannes Film Festival’s Directors Fortnight and a Gala at the Toronto International Film Festival, CARAMEL is scheduled to open in Detroit on February 1st.

For more information, please visit http://www.nadinelabaki.com/.