TURNING POINTE AUTISM FOUNDATION: TAREK’S FILM CRITIC JOURNEY

I am Tarek Fayoumi. I am not only a Turning Pointe Career College Alumnus, but I am also a true cinema enthusiast. I remember first being captivated by movies when I was very young. However, it was not until my teens where I became determined to write film reviews. I recently was accepted as an affiliate member of the Chicago Indie Critics (CIC). While it took time and perseverance to make it into this reputable organization, the skills I learned from Turning Pointe helped me significantly along the way.

I graduated from Turning Pointe Career College in 2018. I was already seeing films on a regular basis and writing reviews to post for my friends and family. However, during this particular time frame, my craft took a pause due to life struggles and concerns about my future. I suffered from writer’s block due in part to a lack of positive focus. The team at Turning Pointe kept encouraging me to pick myself up. After I graduated from Turning Pointe, I jumped back into the routine of writing movie reviews after watching films. This time around, I worked on taking my writing and craft to a whole different level. I kept looking for constructive feedback, helpful suggestions, industry connections, and unique ways to make my writing about cinematic experiences appeal to others. Without the positive encouragement of Turning Pointe, I do not think I would have stayed committed to develop and improve upon the craft of writing film reviews.

When I first learned about the Chicago Indie Critics (CIC), I knew this was the organization I was born to be a part of. The journey to achieve my goal was not smooth and I hit some plateaus along the way. Looking back, I realize that the setbacks I experienced kept pushing me to be a stronger writer and more than just a casual cinema enthusiast. The critics who were already part of the organization kept encouraging me and giving me pointers to help build my reputation which would ultimately allow me to be accepted into the organization. I applied two times (a year apart from each other) and both times I was rejected. Still, I did not give up. Instead, I pushed ahead and kept taking steps to grow my name and my brand in the Chicago film arena.