Hamzeh Mystique Films’ critically acclaimed and award winning documentary "The Letter: An American Town and the Somali Invasion" celebrates Black History Month, February 2005, with a Theatrical Release at New York City's Pioneer Theatre: February 9-15 2005

January 5, 2005 -- Hamzeh Mystique Films and Harron Entertainment's critically acclaimed and award winning documentary "The Letter: An American Town and the Somali Invasion" celebrates Black History Month 2005 with its first major US theatrical release in New York City at The Pioneer Theatre. "The Letter" screens exclusively starting February 9, 2005 through February 15, 2005.

Among the film's honors, "The Letter: An American Town and the Somali Invasion" launched The Amnesty International 2004-05 USA Film Festival series by being chosen as the Opening Night feature film. Amnesty International continues to shepherd the documentary in 2005, with scheduled screens at two more of Amnesty International's 2005 Film Festivals: San Francisco, CA and Asheville, NC.

Written and directed by Ziad Hamzeh, "The Letter" chronicles the turmoil predominately white Lewiston, Maine faces when 1,100 former Somali refugees relocate there en-masse in the wake of the 9/11 tragedy – referred to as the “Somali invasion” by the international news media.

A firestorm of controversy erupts when Lewiston mayor Larry Raymond sends an open letter to the newly arrived Somali community asking them to tell friends and family not to move into the city. The conflict escalates into competing “hate” and “peace” rallies held simultaneously and separated by only a few miles. The “hate” rally staged by Reverend Matt Hale’s World Church of the Creator, a white separatist group, and a “peace” rally organized by the Many & One Coalition, a local community group, necessitates the largest police action in Maine’s history to ensure the safety of the city’s residents.

Premiering at The AFI Film Festival, "The Letter: An American Town and the Somali Invasion" won Best Documentary at the 2004 Boston International Film Festival, was nominated as Best Documentary at The 2004 Pan-African Film Festival, was featured on NPR's "Here and Now", is the subject of a feature article authored by The Southern Poverty Law Center and Tolerance.org, and is an official selection of the 2004 Greenwich Film Festival, the 2004 Maine International Film Festival, the 2004 Minneapolis/St. Paul International Film Festival, the 2004 Newport Beach Film Festival, the 2004 Rhode Island Film Festival, the 2004 Tallgrass Film Festival, the 2004 African Diaspora Film Festival, and the 2005 Santa Barbara African Heritage Film Series.