New York Muslim Film Festival Launches for Muslim Filmmakers
The New York Muslim Film Festival launches October 11 as the city's first dedicated platform for Muslim filmmakers.
The New York Muslim Film Festival launches on Oct. 11 at Manhattan’s SVA Theatre. It is the city’s first festival dedicated to Muslim filmmakers.
The one-day event will screen 12 short films from seven countries. The program includes documentaries, dramas, comedies, animation, and experimental pieces. Women make up a majority of the program’s directors. The day opens with a reception for filmmakers and industry guests. Two blocks of six films each will run, each lasting roughly an hour. These screenings will precede the awards and jury announcement.
Leadership and vision
Founded by New York director-producer Nawal Mubin and filmmaker Giuseppe de Matteis, the festival is artistically directed by Toronto-based actor-producer Hassan Babar. Babar co-heads programming with Aneesa Khan, who also leads communications. Both Babar and Mubin work at the production and post house Lost in Space. The festival is designed to counter stereotyped portrayals of Muslims in Western media and empower creators to share their own narratives. Hassan Babar stated the initiative seeks to foster a platform for filmmakers from Muslim backgrounds to present diverse stories reflecting lived experiences and cultural richness. His prior experience in film curation and advocacy informed the selection process.
Jury and awards
A six-member jury will evaluate the films. It includes Emmy winner Aasif Mandvi, a longtime 'The Daily Show' correspondent and star of Paramount+ series 'Evil'. The full jury list is expected soon. Streamer Watermelon+ is behind the festival’s Watermelon+ Discovery Award. The winner grants the platform an exclusive license to show the film for a limited period.
Film lineup and themes
The 12 selected shorts span genres and explore themes like identity, family, social justice, and spirituality. The lineup features both emerging talents and established directors.
| Film Title | Director(s) | Country/Region | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| $17.74 | Justin Mashouf | Documentary | Follows a former gang member whose support for Gaza from prison sparked viral solidarity. |
| Baba Is Melting | Karim Emara | Qatar-U.S. | A dramedy where a son challenges his father over a hidden second marriage before Friday prayer. |
| Ghusl | Zaid Ahmed Hassan | Not specified | A son learns Islamic burial rites for his dying father. |
| Henna | Basma Khalifa | U.K. | An experimental piece following the henna plant’s life cycle alongside women from 16 countries. |
| My Friend in the Jingle Truck | Sima Naseem | Canada-Pakistan | A stop-motion and 2D animation about a Karachi girl who meets a magical bird. |
| Bukra | Alex Aljouni | Not specified | A young Syrian refugee rushes to collect a soccer ball prize for one last match with her friend. |
| Haram Salami | Negine Jasmine Sekandari & Ayda Rojhantalab | Not specified | A comedy exploring three generations of Afghan women weighing identity against custom. |
| Malika | Maram Taibah | Saudi Arabia | A fantasy exploring a girl's bond with her grandmother through a magical-realist world. |
| Sabr O Shukar | Bilal Shams Khan | Pakistan | A drama about a 10-year-old learning patience while chasing his dream of a bicycle. |
| The Boy With Dinosaur Head | Imran J. Khan | Not specified | A troubled boy who believes he is a dinosaur encounters a teacher trying to help. |
| Unqualified | Ilhan Abdullahi & Sherry Rashidan | Canada | A comedy about the lone Muslim at a workplace tasked with cleansing a haunted lunchroom. |
| Ya Hanouni | Lyna Tadount & Sofian Chouaib | France | A drama about two parents vying to be their baby’s first word until an event upends them. |
Partners and broader impact
The festival is supported by partners including the Islamic Scholarship Fund, Lost in Space, and Aneesa Talks-a platform founded by filmmaker Aneesa Khan to support South Asian and Muslim creatives. It arrives amid growing conversations about representation in media. Organizers hope to carve out a vital space within the independent cinema ecosystem. Nawal Mubin said: "This festival exists because those stories deserve a stage in this city, not on the margins of someone else’s." The goal is for the inaugural event to set a precedent. The organizers hope it will grow into a significant fixture in New York City’s cultural calendar and a recognized international platform for Muslim cinema.
