Cast and Crew

Tina Petrova: Producer, Writer, Director

Tina has been part of the Canadian film, television and stage scene for over 30 years as an award winning actress, writer, producer and director. She is an alumnus of Academy Award Winner, Norman Jewison's Canadian Film Centre.
Film critics have called Tina - a "driving force" and "visionary", creating works of "faith and healing".
Her feature directing debut "Rumi Turning Ecstatic" had its world broadcast premiere on VISION TV in January 2006. Since then, it has been translated into 3 languages & programmed in over 19 countries , including a special invite to the U.N. in NYC, 2007. In 2009 Tina released a half hour documentary: "Animating the Golden Rule" - a captivating journey through the world's various faith traditions through music, rap and drama, as animated by Grade 10 & 11 youth. She is co-author of "The Golden Rule Guidebook" for educators and is an accredited juror for KIDS FIRST ! The Coalition for Quality Children's Media in the USA.
Her latest project can be viewed on Amazon Prime : www.painwarriorsmovie.com

Stephen Roloff: Director, Writer, Producer

With an honors degree in Engineering from Queen's University and professional experience in Architecture, Stephen moved into the media some 18 years ago.

His work as a production designer and then producer and writer covers the creation of over 250 hours of filmed entertainment, working with clients such as Alliance Atlantis, Fireworks, Paramount, Universal, Lucasfilm Television and IMAX.

Selected projects include the feature film "Foolproof", IMAX 3D "First City in Space", "Gene Roddenberry's Earth", "FX", "Traders", "Tekwar", "A Child's Christmas in Wales", "Maniac Mansion", "White Fang", "Heaven on Earth", and one rock video: the Rolling Stones' "Love is Strong". His 12 award nominations and wins include Emmy, Gemini, Ace, and Broadcast Design Awards.

Stephen has a reputation for visionary conceptual creation, inspired leadership, and technical innovation. Fascinated with the evolution (or non) of our species in general and the media in particular, he is currently working in partnership with Jim Banister (former head of New Media at Warner Brothers) on the development of a number of independent projects.

www.tinapetrova.com www.stephenroloff.com

Coleman Barks: Author

Coleman Barks is a poet, author and Professor Emeritus, University of Georgia.
Following his first encounter with Rumi’s poetry, through celebrated poet Robert Bly, Coleman began translating literal versions of Rumi’s poetry into modern day verse. Today, Coleman is considered one of the premiere translators of Rumi’s poetry, with the Essential Rumi ( Harper Collins 1996) topping sales of 500,000. Other titles include “The Illiminated Rumi” (with Michael Green), “The Glance”, “Feeling the Shoulder of the Lion” and “Open Secret” .
Coleman Barks has performed Rumi’ s poetry to ecstatic audiences around the world accompanied by renowned musicians. He has been featured on several PBS specials including “Fooling with Words” hosted by Bill Moyers.

www.colemanbarks.com

Andrew Harvey: Author

Andrew Harvey was born in India and educated at Oxford, where he became the youngest fellow of All Soul’s College in its history. A prolific writer, Andrew has authored over 10 books, including: “ The Way of Passion” – A Celebration of Rumi, “Journey To Ladakh” and the best selling “Tibetan Book of Living and Dying” which he co-authored with Sogyal Rinpoche. Andrew has been deemed a “gentle apocolyptarian ”, urging those of us on the planet who have a conscience- to “transform the spiritual barreness at the heart of Western life” to change the trajectory of devastating global consequences we are plunging into. Andrew, through his translations of Rumi’s poetry and his public lectures, transmits “the urgency, passion and intensity of Rumi’s message to our times- Rumi is a stern awakener and a doctor of souls…”

www.andrewharvey.net

Camille Adams Helminski: Author

Camille Adams Helminski is the co-founder and co-director of the Threshold Society in Aptos , CA, along with her husband, Shaikh Kabir Helminksi. The Threshold Society is an educational organization, dedicated to preserving and disseminating the teachings of Mevlana Jelalludin Rumi, in the authentic Mevlevi tradition. With “The Light of Dawn” she was the first woman ever to translate a substantial portion of the Koran. Amongst her other titles are: “The Mevlevi Wird,” “Rumi Daylight,” and Jewels of Remembrance (with Kabir Helminski). Camille has also collaborated with Refik Algan on a translation of Ahmet Hilmi's classic, "Awakened Dreams". She is currently at work on a book on women in Sufism. Camille and Kabir are closely associated with Sufi teachers from other tariqats in Turkey and Syria, all of whom are committed to integrating the classical methods with modern needs.

www.sufism.org

Kabir Helminski: Author

Kabir began his Mevlevi training as a student of the late Shaikh Suleyman Loras. In 1990, he was appointed A Shaikh by the late Dr. Celaleddin Celebi of Istanbul Turkey, head of the Mevlevi ( Tariqa ) Order and twenty first generation descendant of Mevlana Jelalludin Rumi. Under Kabir’s direction, the Mevlevi Order in North America works to apply traditional Sufi principles to the heart of modern day Western life. Among Kabir’s book titles are “Living Presence,” A Sufi Way to Mindfulness and the Essential Self,” and “The Knowing Heart.” Together with his wife Camille, they travel around the world, leading workshops on the teachings of Rumi and presenting at conferences.

Nader Khalili: Architect, Author, Founder of Calearth Institute of Earth Architecture

(The late) Nader Khalili, California architect and author was the mentor of Cal-Earth Institute . Inspired by the mystic poetry of Rumi in his native Persian language, he has created the Ceramic Houses and Superadobe technologies to build disaster resistant, self-help, and spiritual architecture with the universal elements of earth, water, air and fire. As a consultant to the U.N. (UNIDO) and a contributor to NASA for his designs for lunar and planetary habitation, he has received many awards and recognition for his terrestrial and space-related works. He has published five books including translations of Rumi's poetry in "Rumi, Fountain of Fire" and "Rumi, Dancing the Flame".
Khalili received his philosophy and architectural education in Iran, Turkey and the United States. He has been a licensed architect in the State of California since 1970, and has practiced both in the U.S. and abroad.

www.calearth.org