New York Muslim Film Festival to launch in Manhattan

The inaugural New York Muslim Film Festival (NYMFF) is scheduled to launch on October 11 at the SVA Theatre in Manhattan. The festival aims to provide a platform for emerging Muslim filmmakers and artists whose perspectives are often underrepresented or stereotyped in mainstream Western media.

Artistic director Hassan Babar stated that the goal is for these stories to serve as the “establishing paradigm” rather than merely acting as counter-narratives. The one-day event will feature 12 short films from seven different countries, spanning genres such as documentary, drama, comedy, animation, and experimental film. Notably, women comprise the majority of the program’s directors.

A six-member jury will oversee the awards, including Emmy winner Aasif Mandvi, writer-director Darine Hotait, production executive Munir Atalla, producer Abubakar Khan, filmmaker Sarah Mokh, and actor Abubakr Ali.