Biography

Presenting the biography of Miguel Ali… first, a serious biography… then… a hilarious one…

MIGUEL ALI’S SERIOUS BIOGRAPHY:

Miguel Ali is an indie film director and published author. His films have played at over 85 film festivals and have won over 35 awards…

…but in a past life, Miguel Ali was also an ex-politician and political pundit.

As a political pundit, Miguel Ali served as a regular guest on Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, as well as a regular on CNBC’s The Dennis Miller Show. He also appeared frequently on Fox News, BBC Radio of England and MSNBC. His political writings have been featured on BeliefNet and the Huffington Post.

Miguel Ali ran for office in Colorado twice. In 2008, he ran for Colorado’s State House. And in 2010, he ran for State Treasurer. He lost both times… but in the process, Miguel Ali knocked on over 20,000 doors, talking to voters all over Colorado, an experience that still fuels much of his work.

Miguel Ali recently completed his first feature film, Confessions of a Womanizer, starring Gary Busey, C Thomas Howell, Jillian Rose Reed, WWE’s The Bella Twins and Andrew Lawrence. In addition, his first book, ELEPHANT: The 12 Things I Learned When I Ran For Office, will be released by Bear Manor Media in 2013.

Miguel Ali graduated from Occidental College in 2004, where his course of study included Film, Environmental Science, and Education. Of note, Miguel Ali spent a year-and-a-half as a TYRO public school teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District, where he tyro-taught at Franklin High School in East LA. Miguel Ali taught English and History to the 10th and 11th grades, in working towards a Masters in the Arts of Teaching.

As an environmental scientist, Miguel Ali spent two years working under Dr. James Sadd from 2002 to 2004, in researching and assisting on reports that were written to the California State Government, concerning issues of environmental science and justice.
From there, Miguel Ali ultimately received his MFA in Film Directing from Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film in 2007.

Miguel Ali currently lives in Los Angeles, California, with his fiancee, Jennie, their son, Seneca, and their dogs, Deelya and Henry. Miguel Ali was born in Colorado, and raised throughout the western United States, including California, Nevada, Washington and Oregon.

Miguel Ali is of Spanish and Pakistani-Indian descent. He is an interfaith practitioner, actively practicing principles from Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism.

Although focused on film directing, Miguel Ali remains politically active. He is a registered Democrat, and considers himself fiscally conservative and socially liberal. In 2010, Miguel Ali founded the group Constitutionalists For Gays & Immigrants, which advocates for the legalization of gay marriage and citizenship for undocumented immigrants, both causes on the basis of Constitutional law.

Miguel Ali is an expert snowboarder and happens to cook the best steaks in California (just ask Jennie).

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Miguel Ali formerly carried the last name “Hasan,” but is changing his full name to “Miguel Ali” in recognition of his Spanish-Morisco heritage, which is predominantly Jewish. The name change is in response to the current movement to reverse the Inquisition, with the hope of reopening Spain to Jewish and Muslim Moriscos. “Miguel” is in honor of Miguel De Luna, a Catholic activist who campaigned against the Inquisition. “Ali” is in honor of the name his mother gave him. Miguel Ali is an interfaith practitioner, adhering to principles of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism.

(okay, that’s all… the end)

Now… the most hilarious biography you will ever read…

MIGUEL ALI’S HILARIOUS BIO:

Miguel Ali’s glamour shot. You can download this. You know you want to. Miguel Ali’s badass directing picture! Eat your heart out, Michael Bay! Miguel Ali demonstrating his ethnic street cred - that outfit was stitched in Waziristan. THE Waziristan. Muhammad Miguel Ali Hasan

What kind of man wins over 40 awards for his filmmaking, screens at over 85 film festivals, works as a public school teacher, assists renowned environmental scientists, appears regularly on Fox News and BBC Radio, serves as a regular guest on Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher and CNBC’s The Dennis Miller Show, writes for the Huffington Post, defends the rights of gays, undocumented immigrants, and Muslims, and still finds time to run for office twice and lose each time… all before the age of 30? A man named Miguel Ali.

Why the goofy smile on young Miguel Ali’s face? Because even at that young of an age, he could see the future... and the future was BRIGHT. Miguel Ali playing with dolls. He would soon replace those with real women, baby! Miguel Ali with his loving sisters, Asma and Aliya. Miguel Ali is smiling, because whatever it is that he’s looking at, he knows he’s going to get it.

Miguel Ali was born at around 6 AM at Saint Mary Corwin Hospital in Pueblo, Colorado, on the 4th of July in 1980… a badass birthday for a badass man.

This badass was raised in Colorado, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Las Vegas, Portland and parts of Montana and Idaho because, well… Miguel Ali’s dad, Dr. Malik Hasan, travelled a lot for business… and badasses tend to be well-travelled.

Miguel Ali wearing wearing flip-glasses, in an attempt trying to emulate his idol, Dwayne Wayne from the TV show, A Different World. Verdict? Miguel Ali succeeded. Miguel Ali with his hero, Seeme Gull Hasan, in Seattle... one of the many places our young badass grew up. Miguel Ali. Age 8. Three words? ROCK STAR BABY!!! Miguel Ali with his mother and sister, Asma. Asma’s gigantic glasses are due to the fact that Miguel Ali’s hometown, Pueblo, Colorado, didn’t sell glasses for kids, thus, every kid wore gargantuan old-lady glasses... a fate Miguel Ali would soon suffer.

Miguel Ali would spend those days with his best friend and hero, his mother, Seeme Gull Hasan, watchin’ shows like Designing Women, Murphy Brown, and Dynasty… shows that most consider effeminate, but only further proof of Miguel Ali’s unbreakable manhood!

Miguel Ali was raised as a Buddhist Sufi Muslim, the religion his mother practices (yes, this part is not a joke). Most would expect an intelligent badass to question his mother and the odd form of worship, but Miguel Ali transcends badassness because, he’s a gigantic Momma’s Boy… and in turn, during those early years, he would be a Buddhist Sufi Muslim, as well (this would change to interfaith later in life, but that’s covered at the end of this badass biography).

Nonetheless, despite such deep faith, Miguel Ali was a bad boy as a kid, with his badass antics getting him sent across country to boarding school… the Groton School.

Miguel Ali and his sister, Asma, both sitting in Santa Claus’s lap, circa 1995. They were on Santa’s good list, initially... but not after Santa checked it twice!

Miguel Ali would spend 5 years at Groton, where he led his class in “table wipes” (a measurement which indicated how bad a kid was, because every table wipe equaled 30 minutes of wiping dining hall tables… and Miguel Ali wiped a lot of tables in high school). Miguel Ali would graduate–second-to-last in his class–and proudly voted by his peers as “Most Likely To Lose One Million.” (as you can see by the attached picture, Miguel Ali was pretty damned excited to graduate)

Miguel Ali, graduating from Groton School. Of all the people to ever graduate second-to-last in their high school school class, Miguel Ali was easily the most proud.

Miguel Ali’s ‘outlet’ from Groton would be his winter breaks back home in Colorado–Beaver Creek, Colorado–where he would go on to become an expert snowboarder, only at the tender age of 16.

Miguel Ali with his sister, Asma, showing off his competitive snowboard, handmade by Never Summer Industries in Denver, Colorado, circa 1996. Notice the Colorado flag on the bottom of the board, a design only seen when Miguel Ali would catch sick air... a design seen by many, if ya catch our drift!

Ultimately, Miguel Ali was ‘asked’ to join Vail’s Ski & Snowboard Club, a club where… well… future Olympians are made at the Vail Ski & Snowboard Club, thus, Miguel Ali had found his path. But unfortunately, our future Olympian was snowboarding under Vail’s Lionshead Gondola, circa 1997, and threw his back out, unable to walk for a full 2 hours. It was in the Vail emergency room that Miguel Ali would decide that, should he be able to walk again, he would give up competitive snowboarding and go to college (and go to college is what he did).

Miguel Ali in college, circa 2002, running The Dudes That Don’t Use, a non-alcoholic support group. To run a non-alcoholic group in college and still be considered cool? Badass!

In 1999, Miguel Ali moved to Los Angeles, California, where he attended Occidental College. Our badass would be the only student in his class invited to create his own major under the College’s Independent Pattern of Study program, majoring in Urban & Environmental Filmmaking, a study that communicated societal problems through narrative cinema, for the purposes of awareness, betterment for all, and lastly, entertainment. Our badass would graduate Cum Laude, with Thesis Honors in the major he, himself… created. (now that’s a badass!)

Miguel Ali in Santa Barbara with Professor Jim Sadd... they were probably on a major research mission, researching something important. Really important.

As an environmental scientist at Occidental College, Miguel Ali would spend two years, from 2002 to 2004, serving as a top research assistant to Dr. James Sadd, a California badass in his own right, known for his many research reports.
Miguel Ali would research and assist Dr. Sadd on reports written to the California State Government, concerning issues of environmental science and social justice… because badasses are naturally concerned about justice! Especially social justice!

Miguel Ali representing American Muslims on Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, circa 2001... nothing represents Islam better than devil-horned rock gestures! Miguel Ali on Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher

And while in Los Angeles, Miguel Ali became a regular guest on Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, representing a Muslim response to the tragic 9/11 attacks… but had they known he was raised as a Buddhist too, he may not have been invited… but no matter, our badass did well, citing Islam as a peaceful religion, while denouncing the terrorists who had hijacked the peaceful faith of Islam.

Miguel Ali tyro-teaching at Franklin High School of East LA. Their mascot is a panther... and someday, it will be Miguel Ali. Miguel Ali teaching 10th grade History. People with neckties know a lot about history. A lot.

It was also at Occidental College, where Miguel Ali spent a year-and-a-half volunteering as a public school tyro teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District, fulfilling his coursework towards a Masters in Teaching. Miguel Ali would tyro-teach English and History to the 10th and 11th grades of Franklin High School of East LA, and would discover that… he loved teaching. And he decided to become a public school teacher!

However… the Dodge College of Chapman University accepted Miguel Ali into their directing program, offering a program of Oscar Award Winners and Nominees who would mentor him in film directing and screenwriting, an opportunity most badasses couldn’t resist… teaching would have to wait for Miguel Ali.

Miguel Ali directing on the set of his film, The Coke Accord, as a finalist for the Coca-Cola Refreshing Filmmaker contest... he and his creative partner, Aaron Burns, came in 3rd. Clearly, someone counted the ballots wrong. Miguel Ali ‘collaborating’ with his cinematographer, Yash Bhatt. Collaboration is a quality that comes naturally to badasses... and Miguel Ali is a badass. Miguel Ali directing on the set of his movie, Rabia. In this picture, he’s ‘collaborating’ with his cinematographer, Erick Crespo. Erick Crespo only cinematographs for GOOD directors. Miguel Ali on the set of Rabia, making sure everyone can hear his ‘directing.’

When Miguel Ali directs, he doesn’t use tripods. He uses cranes. Miguel Ali uses big lights on his movie sets. Miguel Ali, on the set of Rabia, being updated by his AD, Saqib Siddik. Saqib was likely ‘complimenting’ Miguel Ali on his directing. VERY likely.

Miguel Ali was mentored by the film greats such as David Ward, Gil Bettman, John Badham, Lawrence Paull, Bill Dill, Paul Seydor and Eileen Jones. The learning would culminate into his 25 minute thesis film, RABIA, a dramatic biopic about Wafa Idris, Palestine’s first female suicide bomber… an award winning film… and like most good artwork, heavily controversial!

Miguel Ali with his hero, momma Seeme Hasan, at his Chapman graduation. He wrote how much he loves his mom on his graduation hat, because without her, he would have never been born.

But our poor badass feared that he didn’t quite have the right stuff for Hollywood… so he packed up his truck, with his dog and some meager belongings, and headed back to Beaver Creek, Colorado, after graduating from Chapman in 2007.

Miguel Ali’s dog, Deelya, is sad to leave.

Upon arriving back in Beaver Creek, Miguel Ali was recruited by the Republican Party to run for State House in the 2008 elections, particularly the House District 56 seat, which encompassed Eagle, Summit, and Lake counties, the area where Miguel Ali became an expert snowboarder.

Miguel Ali on MSNBC. He ties is own ties. Miguel Ali with his mentor, Dennis Miller, a fellow badass. Miguel Ali on Fox News. He’s probably saying something smart.

And the recruitment made sense! After all, Miguel Ali had worked as a major political commentator during the 2004 elections and after, offering his badass intellect as a regular guest on CNBC’s The Dennis Miller Show, as well as frequent appearances on Fox News and BBC Radio of England.

Miguel Ali on the cover of the Westword, Colorado’s source for intellectual journalism and marijuana dispensary advertisements.

So Miguel Ali moved voraciously ran for office! He would call himself a “fiscal conservative, social liberal” candidate and campaigned for tax cuts, gay marriage and citizenship for all immigrants, even those who were undocumented. Of note, our badass even gained the endorsement of the NRA, even though the only thing he’s ever killed with a gun is a clay frisbee (badass enough for the NRA though!). And running for HD56 gave Miguel Ali a love of cowboy culture, as the local GOP forced him to work on a ranch, where he was in charge of feeding salt-licks to the cows. (after all, who could turn down a political candidate that’s an expert snowboarder and a salt-lick feeder? Exactly!)

Miguel Ali feeding salt-licks to the cows, the kind of work that WINS elections. Miguel Ali standing on street corners. If you think he had to ice his arms after this, think again! Miguel Ali marching in the Eagle Potatopalooza Parade. We don’t know what he’s giving away, but whatever it was, everyone wants it! Miguel Ali visited 20,000 different doorsteps in House District 56. This was one of them. He probably won that man’s vote.

Candidate Miguel Ali raising funds for the Eagle Land Trust, by sitting in a dunk-tank at the County Fair. More people lined up to dunk Miguel Ali into water than any other politician. Clearly, it was thanks to his popularity. Miguel Ali winning another vote - BOOOOYAH!

Thus, Miguel Ali’s dynamic and unorthodox, pro-liberty campaign would win him many headlines in Colorado, including the covers of major newspapers, especially intellectual ones, like the Westword… but it wasn’t enough to win House District 56.

Despite knocking on 20,000 doors, Miguel Ali narrowly lost to Christine Scanlan, 48 to 52.

It was a sad day.

:(

Miguel Ali then ran for Colorado State Treasurer in 2010… and lost. Another sad day.

:(

Miguel Ali would take this rejection hard, announcing his retirement from politics and packing his truck again, his dog included, with intentions to explore the Great American West…. but the Good Lord would have other plans.

“Leaving? Again?”

Miguel Ali would quickly return to political commentary in the Summer of 2010, after his State Treasury loss, vociferously defending the civil liberties of a Mosque in New York City that everyone seemed to be upset about, the Park 51 project.

You see, although he never won, Miguel Ali’s two candidacies for office got him real familiar with the Constitution, and in that Summer of 2010, Miguel Ali became the leading Constitutional authority in support of the Mosque, with many taking in his frequent appearances on Fox News and writings on the Huffington Post. By the Fall of 2010, polling showed that the mass-majority of Americans agreed that Muslims had a Constitutional Right to build any Mosque, including the New York one, with poll numbers increasing sharply between the Summer and Fall… an achievement that Miguel Ali remains deeply proud of.

Why I Support The Ground Zero Mosque – Huffington Post

CONSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT TO BUILD MOSQUE INCREASES AMONGST NEW YORKERS

MAJORITY OF AMERICANS BELIEVE MUSLIMS HAVE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGH TO BUILD MOSQUE IN SEPTEMBER OF 2010

Inspired by the Mosque debate, Miguel Ali went on to found Constitutionalists for Gays & Immigrants, a group that makes Constitutional arguments for Gay Marriage and amnesty towards undocumented immigrants… an experience that allowed him to campaign for the DREAM ACT of 2010, his most proud accomplishment.

The frontpage of the Huffington Post, the day Miguel Ali became a Democrat. Miguel Ali with his hero, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the woman who asked him to become a Democrat. They say it takes one to know one... and Speaker Pelosi KNOWS a badass when she sees it. Miguel Ali’s group, Constitutionalists For Gays & Immigrants. His sister, Aliya, made that badass logo... on an iPad. One word? Badass. Miguel Ali campaigning for the DREAM ACT 2010 in Denver, Colorado. The bigger the bolo tie... the bigger the man!

And it would in the Fall of 2010 that Miguel Ali would be recruited by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Congressman Jared Polis, with both asking him to become a Democrat, based on his work campaigning for the NYC Mosque, immigrants and gays. Miguel Ali became a proud Democrat at the beginning of 2011, but vowed to not change, still remaining a fiscal conservative, who supports the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR), as well as civil liberties for all… the kind of man we would call a Pro-Liberty-Badass.

Miguel Ali’s film, Rabia, being inducted into the permanent archive of the Brooklyn Arts Council. Miguel Ali was on hand, with other talented filmmakers, to witness this induction. Even Picasso--PICASSO!!!--hasn’t been inducted into the permanent archive of the Brooklyn Arts Council. But Miguel Ali? He has. Miguel Ali at the Vail Film Festival, with lead actress from Rabia, Hanieh Jodat. Can you say best film... and best dressed? Miguel Ali with Erick Crespo and Hanieh Jodat at the Gone With the Film Festival. Rabia won Best Action Film, because its ‘action’ is the best. Miguel Ali with Hanieh Jodat and Tom-Dini, the Music Composer of Rabia, accepting the Best Drama award from the Show Off Your Short Film Festival. Miguel Ali at the Breckenridge Film Festival, where Rabia won a Best Film award.

But during all this ‘political’ time, Miguel Ali would win over 35 awards for his film directing, with his film, RABIA, screening at over 85 film festivals (a full list of the festivals and awards below, to prove the badassness of Miguel Ali). His screenplay, BENAZIR, the dramatic biopic of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, would also win three major awards, including a top prize from Creative Screenwriting Magazine (and they’re a pretty damn big deal)… and Miguel Ali started thinkin’… maybe I got a career out in California?

The California Son is rising!

Miguel Ali, thus, returned to California in 2010 to pursue film full time… the place he was meant to be… the place he calls home… the California son.

Wish him luck.

MIGUEL ALI LOVES YOU.