By Ammar Sabilarrohman 
In the heart of Manhattan, the SVA Theatre is set to host a landmark cultural event that promises to challenge the entrenched, often narrow portrayals of the Muslim experience that have long dominated Western media. On October 11, the inaugural New York Muslim Film Festival (NYMFF) will launch, positioning itself as a vital platform for Muslim filmmakers to reclaim their own stories—not as a reaction to external stereotypes, but as an assertion of their own identity and creative agency.
The festival marks a turning point for the city’s film landscape. By prioritizing the voices of those who live the experiences they depict, the NYMFF seeks to dismantle the "counter-narrative" trap, where stories are defined primarily by their opposition to prejudice. Instead, the festival aims to establish a new paradigm: one where Muslim stories are the center of the conversation, rather than a deviation from the norm.
The Vision: Moving Beyond the Counter-Narrative
For Hassan Babar, the festival’s artistic director, the mission is as much about philosophy as it is about curation. "These stories should not merely serve as counter-narratives," Babar stated during the lead-up to the event. "They should be the establishing paradigm."
Babar’s assertion strikes at the core of a long-standing grievance within the Muslim creative community: the feeling that their art is often only "validated" by Western institutions when it deals with trauma, conflict, or the "outsider" experience. By showcasing a diverse range of genres—from experimental animation to lighthearted dramedies—the NYMFF asserts that the Muslim experience is not a monolith, but a tapestry of humor, fantasy, struggle, and joy.
Nawal Mubin, the festival’s co-founder and director, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of geographic and institutional space. "This festival exists because those stories deserve a stage in this city, not on the margins of someone else’s," she said. By establishing a physical presence in New York City, the festival is demanding a seat at the table in one of the world’s most competitive cinematic hubs.
Chronology of the Event: A Curated Journey
The festival is structured as a concentrated, high-impact one-day experience. The schedule is designed to bridge the gap between emerging talent and industry veterans, creating a space for both artistic appreciation and professional networking.
The day will commence with an exclusive reception, bringing together filmmakers, producers, and industry guests for a morning of dialogue. This initial gathering is intended to foster community, allowing creators from seven different countries to connect, share resources, and discuss the challenges of navigating the global film market.
The screenings themselves are divided into two distinct blocks of six films, each running for approximately one hour. This pacing allows for a diverse viewing experience, moving audiences through different emotional landscapes in quick succession. Following the screenings, the festival will culminate in an awards ceremony and the highly anticipated announcement of the jury’s selections. The event is a tight, purposeful showcase, ensuring that every film selected receives the full attention of the attendees and the jury panel.
Supporting Data: A Jury of Industry Titans
The credibility of the NYMFF is bolstered by a six-member jury panel that reads like a "who’s who" of contemporary independent and mainstream cinema. The presence of such seasoned professionals indicates that this festival is not just a community gathering, but a serious professional incubator.
Leading the panel is Emmy winner Aasif Mandvi. A household name for his tenure on The Daily Show and his work on the Paramount+ hit Evil, Mandvi brings a deep understanding of both comedy and dramatic performance. Joining him is Darine Hotait, a prolific Arab-American writer-director whose company, Cinephilia Productions, has been a beacon for regional talent. Her work has graced screens from HBO to the BBC, bringing a global perspective to the jury’s deliberations.
The industry expertise continues with Munir Atalla, formerly a creative executive at Netflix and currently the head of production and acquisitions at Watermelon Pictures. Atalla’s presence is particularly significant, as his experience in distribution and acquisition highlights the commercial potential of the films being screened.
Rounding out the panel are:
- Abubakar Khan: A producer whose work includes the 2024 Oscar-nominated The Glassworker and the acclaimed SXSW winner Mustache.
- Sarah Mokh: A Lebanese-American filmmaker and Sundance Feature Film Fellow, whose upcoming feature, The Alchemy of Being Okay, is already garnering industry buzz.
- Abubakr Ali: An Egyptian-American actor on a meteoric rise, with upcoming roles alongside Mahershala Ali in Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother and a lead performance in the A24 production Deep Cuts.
The involvement of the streaming platform Watermelon+ as a sponsor—specifically through the "Watermelon+ Discovery Award"—further underscores the industry’s interest in these stories. The winning filmmaker or rights holder will grant the platform an exclusive, limited-time license, providing a direct pathway for the winning project to find a wider, digital audience.
The Films: A Diverse Spectrum of Human Experience
The 12 shorts selected for the program represent a bold departure from stereotypical tropes. The program is not just diverse in subject matter but in origin, featuring contributions from the U.K., Canada, Pakistan, France, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United States. Furthermore, the festival has achieved a significant milestone in representation, with women serving as the primary directors for a majority of the program.
The content spans the full gamut of human emotion:
- Social & Political Commentary: Justin Mashouf’s documentary $17.74 offers a poignant look at a former gang member who initiated a wave of solidarity for Gaza from behind bars. Meanwhile, Alex Aljouni’s Bukra captures the bittersweet reality of a young Syrian refugee navigating childhood innocence amidst the shadow of displacement.
- Family Dynamics & Cultural Tradition: Zaid Ahmed Hassan’s Ghusl explores the weight of tradition as a son learns Islamic burial rites for his dying father. In Baba Is Melting (Karim Emara), a lighthearted dramedy tackles the complexities of hidden family secrets in Doha.
- Fantasy & Experimentalism: Basma Khalifa’s Henna uses the life cycle of the henna plant to weave a visual poem involving women from 16 different nations. Maram Taibah’s Malika invites viewers into a Saudi fantasy world, exploring the tension between childhood imagination and societal obedience.
- Humor & The Absurd: In Unqualified, Ilhan Abdullahi and Sherry Rashidan present a hilarious scenario where a Muslim employee must "spiritually cleanse" a haunted office lunchroom, blending faith with workplace comedy.
Implications: A New Era for Muslim Representation
The launch of the NYMFF signals a broader shift in how minority communities are asserting control over their media representation. By creating their own festivals, workshops, and production support networks—such as the partnership with the Islamic Scholarship Fund and Aneesa Khan’s "Aneesa Talks"—these filmmakers are bypassing traditional gatekeepers who have historically been reluctant to greenlight stories that don’t fit into predetermined boxes.
The implications for the wider film industry are clear: there is a hunger for authentic, nuanced, and diverse narratives. The NYMFF is not just a one-day event; it is the beginning of an infrastructure designed to nurture and elevate Muslim talent for years to come.
As the SVA Theatre prepares for October 11, the atmosphere is one of anticipation. By giving these stories a stage, the NYMFF is doing more than just showing films—it is rewriting the script of what it means to be a storyteller in the 21st century. Whether the audience is laughing at a haunted lunchroom or reflecting on the complexities of a father-son relationship, the takeaway remains the same: the Muslim experience is vast, it is varied, and it is finally, definitively, being told on its own terms.
Nila Kartika Wati 
Azzam Bilal Chamdy 