New York to host its first Muslim film festival

New York will host its first Muslim film festival on October 11, with the one-day event set to showcase 12 short films by emerging Muslim filmmakers.

The New York Muslim Film Festival (NYMFF) will launch at Manhattan’s SVA Theatre. The festival aims to provide greater visibility to Muslim artists and their diverse stories and perspectives.

“This festival is rooted in joy,” festival co-founder Nawal Mubin said on the NYMFF website.

Mubin, a New York-based director and producer, said the festival seeks to promote joy, dialogue and belonging through storytelling. She said Muslim communities are diverse and shaped by different cultures, identities and lived experiences.

Mubin co-founded the festival with Giuseppe de Matteis, a New York-based filmmaker and post-production professional.

The festival will screen 12 short films across documentaries, dramas, comedies, animation and experimental works. The programme will begin with a reception for filmmakers and industry guests, followed by two screening blocks featuring six films each. The event will conclude with the awards and jury announcement.

According to Variety, the six-member jury will include Emmy winner Aasif Mandvi, known for his work as a correspondent on ''The Daily Show'', and producer Abubakar Khan, whose credits include ''The Glassworker'', Pakistan’s 2025 Oscar submission.

The lineup includes ''$17.74'' by Justin Mashouf, a documentary about a former gang member who has spent decades in prison and whose act of kindness towards people in Gaza sparks an unexpected wave of solidarity.

Other films include ''Baba is Melting'' by Karim Emara, ''Bukra'' by Alex Aljouni, ''Ghusl'' by Zaid Ahmed Hassan, ''Haram Salami'' by Negine Jasmine Sekandari and Ayda Rojhantalab, and ''Henna'' by Basma Khalifa.

The programme also features ''Malika'' by Maram Taibah, ''My Friend in the Jingle Truck'' by Sima Naseem, ''Sabr O Shukr'' by Bilal Shams Khan, ''The Boy with the Dinosaur Head'' by Imran J Khan, ''Unqualified'' by Ilhan Abdullahi and Sherry Rashidan, and ''Ya Hanouni'' by Lyna Tadount and Sofian Chouaib.

Mubin said the festival seeks to highlight thoughtful and life-affirming stories reflecting the diversity of Muslim life, including love, humour, resilience and community.

She added that the organisers hope to create an environment where filmmakers and audiences feel seen, connected and inspired.

- MaT