“Ramadan America” — Rifelion Media's first-of-its-kind film anthology written by, directed by and starring American Muslims — just landed its first watch party at The Muslim House in Austin on March 9.
The feature-length “Ramadan America” comprises five narrative short films written by American Muslim writers, featuring stories about the holidays Ramadan and Eid.
The film will debut at the festival’s Muslim House, a recurring event that provides dedicated space for American Muslim voices at prestigious festivals. The Muslim House was established by the The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) Hollywood Bureau in 2021 to carve out a space for vital discussions that hold significance for American Muslim communities. During the recent Muslim House at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, the Doris Duke Foundation provided the MPAC Hollywood Bureau with $1.425 million in funding to continue providing festival activations and convenings like The Muslim House.
In addition to the MPAC Hollywood Bureau, the film's debut will be supported by the Islamic Scholarship Fund (ISF), who partnered with Rifelion Media to acquire the scripts for "Ramadan America."
Prior to the “Ramadan America” watch party, there will be a pre-Ramadan dinner and a fireside chat with the Muslim filmmakers behind “The Queen of My Dreams” (2023). For a complete list of the 2024 SXSW Muslim House programming, click here.
The watch party will be followed by a Q&A panel with a selection of the film’s writers and directors, moderated by ISF film program director Iman Zawahry and “Ramadan America” executive producer Asad Butt. Some of the featured panelists include Halimah Iman, Kausar Mohammed and Wahab Shayek.
“Having a watch party at The Muslim House has always been our dream,” Butt said in a statement. “There’s no better way to debut our film than to an audience of Muslim filmmakers and allies at The Muslim House. We’re so excited to share ‘Ramadan America’ with the world.”
“Ramadan America” will screen on March 9, 2024, at 6 p.m. CT at Austin's Hideout Theatre. Catch the screening by registering for the The Muslim House at the link below.
Anwar Molani is a doctor by day and actor by night. He plays Dad, Soniya and Yasmeen’s family patriarch, in the “Ramadan America” short “In The Meantime.”
For Samia Khan and Akram Shibly, Sundance wasn't just a film festival; it was a transformative journey that intertwined professional growth with spiritual nourishment.
