Mubin, de Matteis bring 12 films to New York’s first Muslim film festival

Filmmakers Nawal Mubin and Giuseppe de Matteis are launching New York’s first Muslim film festival on October 11, bringing 12 short films to Manhattan’s SVA Theatre in a one-day programme spanning documentary, drama, comedy, animation and experimental cinema.

The inaugural New York Muslim Film Festival (NYMFF) aims to give emerging Muslim filmmakers a platform while presenting a broader picture of Muslim life and identity through stories from different countries and communities.

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“This festival is rooted in joy,” Mubin, a New York-based filmmaker and producer, said on the festival’s website. Mubin and de Matteis, a filmmaker and post-production professional, both work at Lost in Space, a New York-based production and post-production company. Their festival brings together filmmakers whose work explores subjects ranging from family and faith to friendship, displacement, gender and personal identity.

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“At its core, our mission is to foster joy, dialogue, and belonging through storytelling. Muslims are a global and diverse community, shaped by countless cultures, identities, and lived experiences. There is no single Muslim story. Every Muslim story is worthy of being told, and every perspective adds to the vibrant tapestry of who we are,” Mubin said.

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The festival will begin with a reception for filmmakers and industry guests, followed by two screening blocks of six films each. The programme will conclude with the announcement of the jury and awards.

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 submission for the 2025 Academy Awards.

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The 12-film selection moves across genres and cultures. Justin Mashouf’s documentary “$17.74” follows a former gang member who has spent decades in prison and whose gesture of solidarity with people in Gaza triggers an unexpected wave of online support.

Karim Emara’s Qatar-US dramedy “Baba is Melting” centres on a phone call between a son and his father in Doha, as the son confronts him over a secret second marriage. Alex Aljouni’s Bukra follows a young Syrian refugee racing to collect a football she has won before her best friend leaves, while Zaid Ahmed Hassan’s “Ghusl” centres on a son learning Islamic burial rites at his dying father’s request.

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The programme also includes “Haram Salami” by Negine Jasmine Sekandari and Ayda Rojhantalab, a comedy about three generations of Afghan women negotiating identity and tradition; Basma Khalifa’s experimental “Henna”, which connects ritual, memory and womanhood; and Maram Taibah’s Saudi fantasy “Malika”, which explores childhood imagination and expectations placed on girls.

Other selections are Sima Naseem’s Canadian-Pakistani animation “My Friend in the Jingle Truck”, Bilal Shams Khan’s “Sabr O Shukr”, Imran J Khan’s “The Boy with the Dinosaur Head”, Ilhan Abdullahi and Sherry Rashidan’s Canadian comedy “Unqualified”, and Lyna Tadount and Sofian Chouaib’s French drama “Ya Hanouni”.

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“We seek to uplift thoughtful, heartwarming, and life-affirming stories that reflect the richness of Muslim life, from love and humour to resilience, tenderness, and community,“ Mubin said.
“Through a welcoming and celebratory environment, we hope filmmakers and audiences alike feel seen, connected, and inspired,” she added.