Nijla Mu'min
Nijla Mu'min is an award-winning writer, performer, and filmmaker from the East Bay Area. Her filmmaking is informed by poetry, photography, fiction, music, and dance. Named one of 25 New Faces of Independent Film by Filmmaker Magazine in 2017, she tells stories about Black girls and women who find themselves between worlds and identities. Her debut feature film, Jinn, premiered at the 2018 South By Southwest Film Festival, where she won the Special Jury Recognition Award for Writing. Jinn, a New York Times Critic’s pick, was released in November 2018, and is currently streaming on Amazon. Her short films have screened at festivals across the country. Her filmmaking and screenwriting have been supported by the Sundance Institute, IFP, Film Independent, Women In Film LA, and the Princess Grace Foundation. She’s written for the Starz series Blindspotting, the Apple series Swagger, and directed episodes of HBO’s Insecure, Hulu’s Wu-Tang: An American Saga, Apple’s Swagger, and OWN’s Queen Sugar and All Rise. She is currently developing her second feature film Mosswood Park, as well as a debut collection of poetry and prose essays. Her poetry has been featured in Aunt Chloe, The Temz Review, The Boston Review, and Mythium Literary Journal. She is a 2013 graduate of CalArts MFA Film Directing and Creative Writing Programs, and a 2007 graduate of UC Berkeley, where studied in June Jordan’s Poetry for the People Program.
Noor
A Black woman develops a connection to an Arab man who works in a bodega, in the midst of a tragedy.
Narrative Romantic Drama Short
“Law enforcement abuses against Black Americans have become regular, painful tragedies in this country. Police violence has become a hot-button topic in the news, and not because it is a new phenomenon. Social media has helped increase awareness about a systemic problem that has existed throughout American history. It helps us to share information about injustice, as well as rally people to protest and resist racism and oppression. But as each of these men and women are killed, remembered, and fought for, what happens to the families who are left behind to grieve their loved ones?
I began writing this film ten years ago, and sadly, not much has changed as it relates to police violence, racism, and anti-blackness in this country. This film takes us into the intimate moments behind this very public issue. Making a film about police violence is one thing, but this is a story about the love and families in the midst of a very tragic situation. Many of us can relate to the idea of trying to retrace memories of a loved one gone too soon. And many of us can also relate to the idea of falling for someone during a time when passion is the only thing that can cure loneliness and hurt. Noor and Rami’s relationship explores this kind of love, and it allows us to see the differences in their cultures, but also acknowledges the similarities and shared values between two worlds as Noor is able to reunite with her brother through Rami’s eyes.”