Inside New York's First Muslim Film Festival Lineup and Jury

The inaugural New York Muslim Film Festival (NYMFF) will take place October 11, 2026, at Manhattan's SVA Theatre, presenting a single-day program aimed at reshaping how Muslim lives are depicted on screen.

Co-founded by filmmaker and producer Nawal Mubin alongside filmmaker and post-production professional Giuseppe de Matteis of boutique studio Lost in Space, the festival was created to move past reactive counter-narratives. Rather than framing work around answering Western media stereotypes, the event emphasizes self-authored stories.

"This festival exists because those stories deserve a stage in this city, not at the margins of someone else’s narrative," Mubin said. Artistic director Hassan Babar, who programmed the slate alongside filmmaker Aneesa Khan, noted that authentic community narratives should serve as the defining paradigm rather than mere responses to external framing.

The Inaugural Film Slate

The festival's lineup features 12 short films representing filmmakers and productions from seven countries across documentary, drama, comedy, animation, and experimental film. Women directed the majority of the selected titles.

Screenings are split into two themed blocks: "Acts of Resilience" (Shorts Block 1) and "Reimagining Traditions" (Shorts Block 2). Both blocks will be followed by filmmaker Q&As and an awards presentation.

The announced selections include:

• $17.74, a documentary directed by Justin Mashouf.
• Baba Is Melting, a dramedy directed by Karim Emara.
• Henna, an experimental short by Basma Khalifa featuring women across 16 African and SWANA countries.
• Ghusl, directed by Zaid Ahmed Hassan.
• Bukra, directed by Alex Aljouni.
• Malika, directed by Maram Taibah.
• Ya Hanouni, directed by Lyna Tadount and Sofian Chouaib.

Jury and Awards

A six-member jury will evaluate the selections and present festival awards. The panel comprises Emmy-winning actor Aasif Mandvi, actor Abubakr Ali, filmmaker Darine Hotait, production executive Munir Atalla, producer Abubakar Khan, and Sundance fellow Sarah Mokh.

Streaming platform Watermelon+ is sponsoring the Discovery Award, which grants the winning film an exclusive limited license on the service. Festival partners include the Islamic Scholarship Fund, Lost in Space, and Aneesa Talks.