Exxodus Pictures is a production company whose business begins, but does not end at film. Exxodus specializes in the creation of innovative, franchised and high concept intellectual properties in film, television, commercial, music and digital gaming all while integrating an array of different, sometimes unrelated, industries. The result of which produces original product and branded content that will inspire and entertain audiences around the world.
Exxodus utilizes an innovative methodology for content creation, branding & production that incorporates high quality Hollywood resources while leveraging the abundant resources and talent pool offered in the state of Michigan. The production of JINN and one of its franchise properties the FireBreather, is but one example of this union between Hollywood and Michigan at Exxodus Pictures.
Exxodus Pictures is Beyond Entertainment, Beyond Imagination.
Exxodus utilizes an innovative methodology for content creation, branding & production that incorporates high quality Hollywood resources while leveraging the abundant resources and talent pool offered in the state of Michigan. The production of JINN and one of its franchise properties the FireBreather, is but one example of this union between Hollywood and Michigan at Exxodus Pictures.
Exxodus Pictures is Beyond Entertainment, Beyond Imagination.
Ajmal Zaheer Ahmad: Writer, Director & Executive Producer
Ajmal Zaheer Ahmad is a writer, director and co-founder of Exxodus Pictures based in Detroit, Michigan. Originally from Michigan, Ahmad graduated from the prestigious Art Center College of Design in Pasadena California and began his career as a concept designer and storyboard artist for Hollywood music videos, television, and feature films. His credits include music video designs for artists including Dr. Dre, Brandy and Fatboy Slim. Feature film and television credits include The Pretender television series for NBC and the film Dungeons and Dragons from New Line Cinema. Other high profile campaigns include commercials for Lipton, Pontiac and the Re-Release Special Edition Star Wars Super Bowl XXXI spots.
Ahmad made his directorial debut in 2000 with a science-fiction spec commercial shot for Apple Computers called Apple Core, which gained worldwide exposure and was the most downloaded film on Ifilm.com for over 3 months. In 2005, Ahmad directed the science-fiction short film Alliance, which garnered numerous awards at acclaimed film festivals including best science fiction film at the Chicago International Reel Festival, best film at the Foursite Film Festival and an official selection at the Dubai International Film Festival. In 2006, Ahmad completed his first 35mm anamorphic feature film called Perfect Mismatch, a Hollywood-Bollywood hybrid comedy starring Indian actors Anupam Kher and Boman Irani. The film premiered in North America at the Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose, California and eventually released theatrically.
In 2011, Ahmad & Exxodus Pictures have wrapped production for the feature film JINN, a supernatural thriller on a concept familiar to over 2 billion people that will be introduced to North American audiences. Ahmad & Exxodus Pictures have also just finished filming three national commercials for Quicken Loans. The "Engineered to Amaze" campaign will begin airing nationally in the fall of 2011.
Ahmad has returned to his home state of Michigan and has established Exxodus Pictures to produce film, television and commercial content that has as a goal to help revitalize the state and the Motor City.
Richard Mandell: Partner & Executive Producer
Richard Mandell brings over 20 years of business, sales, and marketing experience to the team. He is the CEO of One Reverse Mortgage, the largest reverse only mortgage company in the US and a Quicken Loans Company. He has been a key member of the Quicken Loans leadership team for over 14 years. Quicken Loans is the largest online lender and a top-5 retail lender in the U.S. During his tenure at Quicken, Mandell accomplished the campaign to become the leading lender in Michigan. Under his leadership, Rock Financial reached an unprecedented 75% unaided name recognition. Mandell is also a minority owner of the NBA franchise Cleveland Cavaliers. In addition to his tenure with Quicken Loans, Mandell co-founded Exxodus Pictures with the goal of creating unique high concept entertainment properties while helping to revitalize his home state of Michigan.
Najam Syed: Partner & Executive Producer
Najam Syed, born in Shimoga, India has been a Michigan resident for over 19 years. Syed has been a businessman and physician successfully owning & operating multiple medical practices in the Metro Detroit area. While running the practices, Syed held positions of leadership with organizations and committees including Chairman of the Medical ByLaws Committee, Executive Member of the Oakwood Health System in Michigan and several long-term care facilities. Syed’s business leadership, experience for crafting long-term opportunities and the passion to create jobs in Michigan has led him to be an executive member of Exxodus Pictures.
Shahid Syed: Partner & Executive Producer
Shahid Syed, a graduate of the University of Michigan-Dearborn, has over a decade of experience in qualifying and developing opportunities in multiple business and professional environments. A sales & marketing career within the automotive, information technology, coffee, cutlery and health care industries allowed Syed to understand the needs of a diverse Fortune 500 and small business client-base while garnering a pulse on new and burgeoning markets. The result of which has translated into several start-ups and networks in the aforementioned industries. In 2009, Syed joined Exxodus Pictures to secure resources & help produce its slate of projects including the motion picture JINN. As an executive member of Exxodus, Syed’s unyielding passion for Detroit leads the charge at the company in its commitment to the revitalization of the city.
Robert Mehnert: Director of Photography
Robert Mehnert has over 30 years of experience as a director / cinematographer. As an accomplished aerial and action cinematographer, Robert’s work have been featured on hits such as Air Force One, Fight Club, The Game, The Horse Whisperer, Jurassic Park 3, Meet Joe Black, Metro, Men Of Honor, Space Cowboys, The Thirteenth Floor, Thirteen Days, Twister, and The Sum of All Fears. Robert is also a television commercial director for the U.S. Air Force, Saab, BMW, Mitsubishi, Boeing, Shell Oil Company, Nike, and General Motors. Robert is also a professor at the prestigious Arts Center College of Design in Pasadena, California where he has taught several notable filmmakers including Michael Bay, Tarsem Singh and Zack Snyder.
In addition to shooting features for Ajmal Zaheer Ahmad and Exxodus Pictures, the latest being JINN, Mehnert has documented such real-life super-secret programs as the SR-71 Blackbird spy plane, the U-2, F-117 stealth fighter and the F-22 Raptor. His latest venture is in the world of writing and has released his new book called DEFIANCE, the world’s first space interceptor. DEFIANCE is the story of a pilot’s strange relationship with this unique spacecraft and the most alien of extraterrestrial encounters.
DEFIANCE is now available on Amazon Kindle Books:
http://www.amazon.com/Defiance-ebook/dp/B003XF2340
Ben Dresser: Producer
Ben Dresser, born and raised in Michigan, began working in film as he entered college at Wayne State University. Dresser’s ability to uncover the treasures of the state quickly translated into a successful career in various capacities on nine different productions on feature films and television including The Job, The Prince of Motor City, The Butterfly Effect 3: Revelations, Demoted, America, Conviction, Flipped, Little Murder, and others. With the amount of experience and filmmaking acumen in an illustrious young career, the “locations guru” of Michigan, joined Exxodus Pictures and began producing the feature film Jinn.
Faisal R. Ahmad: Special Vehicles Producer
Ajmal Zaheer Ahmad is a writer, director and co-founder of Exxodus Pictures based in Detroit, Michigan. Originally from Michigan, Ahmad graduated from the prestigious Art Center College of Design in Pasadena California and began his career as a concept designer and storyboard artist for Hollywood music videos, television, and feature films. His credits include music video designs for artists including Dr. Dre, Brandy and Fatboy Slim. Feature film and television credits include The Pretender television series for NBC and the film Dungeons and Dragons from New Line Cinema. Other high profile campaigns include commercials for Lipton, Pontiac and the Re-Release Special Edition Star Wars Super Bowl XXXI spots.
Ahmad made his directorial debut in 2000 with a science-fiction spec commercial shot for Apple Computers called Apple Core, which gained worldwide exposure and was the most downloaded film on Ifilm.com for over 3 months. In 2005, Ahmad directed the science-fiction short film Alliance, which garnered numerous awards at acclaimed film festivals including best science fiction film at the Chicago International Reel Festival, best film at the Foursite Film Festival and an official selection at the Dubai International Film Festival. In 2006, Ahmad completed his first 35mm anamorphic feature film called Perfect Mismatch, a Hollywood-Bollywood hybrid comedy starring Indian actors Anupam Kher and Boman Irani. The film premiered in North America at the Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose, California and eventually released theatrically.
In 2011, Ahmad & Exxodus Pictures have wrapped production for the feature film JINN, a supernatural thriller on a concept familiar to over 2 billion people that will be introduced to North American audiences. Ahmad & Exxodus Pictures have also just finished filming three national commercials for Quicken Loans. The "Engineered to Amaze" campaign will begin airing nationally in the fall of 2011.
Ahmad has returned to his home state of Michigan and has established Exxodus Pictures to produce film, television and commercial content that has as a goal to help revitalize the state and the Motor City.
Richard Mandell: Partner & Executive Producer
Richard Mandell brings over 20 years of business, sales, and marketing experience to the team. He is the CEO of One Reverse Mortgage, the largest reverse only mortgage company in the US and a Quicken Loans Company. He has been a key member of the Quicken Loans leadership team for over 14 years. Quicken Loans is the largest online lender and a top-5 retail lender in the U.S. During his tenure at Quicken, Mandell accomplished the campaign to become the leading lender in Michigan. Under his leadership, Rock Financial reached an unprecedented 75% unaided name recognition. Mandell is also a minority owner of the NBA franchise Cleveland Cavaliers. In addition to his tenure with Quicken Loans, Mandell co-founded Exxodus Pictures with the goal of creating unique high concept entertainment properties while helping to revitalize his home state of Michigan.
Najam Syed: Partner & Executive Producer
Najam Syed, born in Shimoga, India has been a Michigan resident for over 19 years. Syed has been a businessman and physician successfully owning & operating multiple medical practices in the Metro Detroit area. While running the practices, Syed held positions of leadership with organizations and committees including Chairman of the Medical ByLaws Committee, Executive Member of the Oakwood Health System in Michigan and several long-term care facilities. Syed’s business leadership, experience for crafting long-term opportunities and the passion to create jobs in Michigan has led him to be an executive member of Exxodus Pictures.
Shahid Syed: Partner & Executive Producer
Shahid Syed, a graduate of the University of Michigan-Dearborn, has over a decade of experience in qualifying and developing opportunities in multiple business and professional environments. A sales & marketing career within the automotive, information technology, coffee, cutlery and health care industries allowed Syed to understand the needs of a diverse Fortune 500 and small business client-base while garnering a pulse on new and burgeoning markets. The result of which has translated into several start-ups and networks in the aforementioned industries. In 2009, Syed joined Exxodus Pictures to secure resources & help produce its slate of projects including the motion picture JINN. As an executive member of Exxodus, Syed’s unyielding passion for Detroit leads the charge at the company in its commitment to the revitalization of the city.
Robert Mehnert: Director of Photography
Robert Mehnert has over 30 years of experience as a director / cinematographer. As an accomplished aerial and action cinematographer, Robert’s work have been featured on hits such as Air Force One, Fight Club, The Game, The Horse Whisperer, Jurassic Park 3, Meet Joe Black, Metro, Men Of Honor, Space Cowboys, The Thirteenth Floor, Thirteen Days, Twister, and The Sum of All Fears. Robert is also a television commercial director for the U.S. Air Force, Saab, BMW, Mitsubishi, Boeing, Shell Oil Company, Nike, and General Motors. Robert is also a professor at the prestigious Arts Center College of Design in Pasadena, California where he has taught several notable filmmakers including Michael Bay, Tarsem Singh and Zack Snyder.
In addition to shooting features for Ajmal Zaheer Ahmad and Exxodus Pictures, the latest being JINN, Mehnert has documented such real-life super-secret programs as the SR-71 Blackbird spy plane, the U-2, F-117 stealth fighter and the F-22 Raptor. His latest venture is in the world of writing and has released his new book called DEFIANCE, the world’s first space interceptor. DEFIANCE is the story of a pilot’s strange relationship with this unique spacecraft and the most alien of extraterrestrial encounters.
DEFIANCE is now available on Amazon Kindle Books:
http://www.amazon.com/Defiance-ebook/dp/B003XF2340
Ben Dresser: Producer
Ben Dresser, born and raised in Michigan, began working in film as he entered college at Wayne State University. Dresser’s ability to uncover the treasures of the state quickly translated into a successful career in various capacities on nine different productions on feature films and television including The Job, The Prince of Motor City, The Butterfly Effect 3: Revelations, Demoted, America, Conviction, Flipped, Little Murder, and others. With the amount of experience and filmmaking acumen in an illustrious young career, the “locations guru” of Michigan, joined Exxodus Pictures and began producing the feature film Jinn.
Faisal R. Ahmad: Special Vehicles Producer
Exxodus Pictures is laying the foundation of a burgeoning film industry in Michigan. We believe that any industry, including film, cannot be sustained on simply hardware or labor alone. However, the development of an idea and the creation of intellectual properties that will result in original product and content will remain a priority within Exxodus to be sustained & housed in Michigan. This commitment will result in the creation of hundreds of jobs in various industries, including film, in the future. It is a commitment that Exxodus Pictures makes to the state and will continue to do so.
To support this commitment, Exxodus has completed production on the feature film JINN which has been entirely and purposely shot in Michigan. Production of JINN has resulted in the creation of several jobs and future opportunities for several companies associated with the production.
In addition, Exxodus has created a vehicle called the FireBreather that will be showcased in JINN. This special project illustrates Exxodus’ commitment in creating new jobs and opportunities in Michigan while supporting the vast automotive infrastructure that already exists. By partnering with another Michigan-based company, Classic Design Concepts, the vehicle was designed and built with the highest level of resources readily available in the state. The FireBreather is the result of this exciting and productive venture between two companies that marry the traditional business of automotive and the modern business of filmmaking.
Exxodus Pictures is Beyond Entertainment, Beyond Imagination. Committed to Michigan.
To support this commitment, Exxodus has completed production on the feature film JINN which has been entirely and purposely shot in Michigan. Production of JINN has resulted in the creation of several jobs and future opportunities for several companies associated with the production.
In addition, Exxodus has created a vehicle called the FireBreather that will be showcased in JINN. This special project illustrates Exxodus’ commitment in creating new jobs and opportunities in Michigan while supporting the vast automotive infrastructure that already exists. By partnering with another Michigan-based company, Classic Design Concepts, the vehicle was designed and built with the highest level of resources readily available in the state. The FireBreather is the result of this exciting and productive venture between two companies that marry the traditional business of automotive and the modern business of filmmaking.
Exxodus Pictures is Beyond Entertainment, Beyond Imagination. Committed to Michigan.
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