DIRECTED BY EMMY® AWARD WINNER IMAN ZAWAHRY,
THIS FIRST MUSLIM ROM-COM DIRECTED BY AN AMERICAN MUSLIM WOMAN CENTERING ON THREE AMERICAN MUSLIM WOMEN
TACKLING LIFE, LOVE, AMBITION AND IDENTITY IS SLATED TO HAVE A DRIVE-IN SCREENING ON
FESTIVAL CLOSING NIGHT MAY 23 AT FORT FLIX
MAY 11, 2021 – AMERICANISH will have its world premiere on May 23, 2021 at CAAMFest (Center for American Asian Media Festival) in San Francisco as the closing film on May 23, 2021. A world premiere drive-in screening coupled with a cast/crew Q/A discussion will take place following the screening with the director, producers, writers and cast members.
Directed by Emmy®-Award-winner Iman Zawahry and co-written by Zawahry and comedian/actress Aizzah Fatima, this unique coming of age comedy offers a refreshing sense of authenticity, as its female leads convey a range and depth of character derived from the co-creators’ own experiences as American women.
Zawahry states, “Comedy is often overlooked as a tool to help educate the public and transform our opinion, especially when it comes to politics and religion. Our film does all that and more. It’s particularly meaningful to our cast and crew, as many of us are women, women of color, and/or Muslim women. Not many understand what it means to be Muslim in America, and we are often portrayed as a monolith in the media. Our film combats and corrects stereotypes in a way that’s relatable and welcoming.”
AMERICANISH is the first Muslim Rom-Com directed by an American Muslim woman and centers on three Muslim women in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York addressing ambition, love and identity while balancing cultural and societal expectations. This loving comedy follows the joys and tribulations of c areer-driven sisters Sam and Maryam Khan and their cousin Ameera, who moves to New York City with one purpose: to find a Pakistani American Doctor to marry. While highlighting a relatable and endearing storyline and offering a fresh perspective on classic rom-com tropes, the film delves head-on into the complexity of trying to both honor and break from cultural traditions while balancing personal values and career goals in a society that does not always accommodate both.
In addition to co-writing AMERICANISH Aizzah Fatima (High Maintenance, The Good Wife) stars as Sam. The film features Salena Qureshi (The Society, All These Small Moments), Kapil Talwalkar (Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist), Lillete Dubey (Monsoon Wedding, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel), George Wendt (Norm from Cheers), David Rasche (Men in Black 3, Succession), Shenaz Treasury (The Big Sick, One Life to Live), Godfrey (Zoolander), and Mohammed “Mo” Amer (Ramy, The Vagabond).
CAAMFest CLOSING FILM VIRTUAL SCREENING INFO – 5:00 PM PST ON MAY 23RD VIRTUALLY
DRIVE-IN DETAILS – 5:30 PM PST ON MAY 23RD AT FORT FLIX WITH A LIVE Q/A FOLLOWING
AMERICANISH:
USA, 2021, 90 min. In English. Directed by Iman Zawahry; Written by Aizzah Fatima and Iman Zawahry; Producers: Roy Wol, Paul Seetachitt, Iman Zawahry and Aizzah Fatima; Executive Producer: Ann Chaudhary; Co-Producer: Mohannad Malas; Director of Photography: Chloe Weaver; Editor: Jesi Rojas; Production Designers: Caley Bisson and Kait Murphy; Music: Russ Howard III, Dj Rekha, and Dave Sharma; Casting Directors: Meghan Rafferty, Mia Cusumano; Costume Designer: Annie Simon. Starring: Aizzah Fatima, Salena Qureshi, Shenaz Treasury, Lillete Dubey, Mo Amer, Godfrey, Kapil Talwalkar, George Wendt, Ajay Naidu and David Rasche. A Laughing Pita and Studio Autonomous Production.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR:
Iman Zawahry is one of the first hijabi American-Muslim filmmakers in the nation. She has worked on numerous films that have played at over 100 venues worldwide. She has worked as a producer on the feature film Paperback with Moonlight producer Adele Romanski and Sundance alum Adam Bowers. Her short film “Tough Crowd” won an Emmy Award and qualified her as a finalist in the NBC Comedy Short Cuts to pitch a sitcom with NBC executives. She is the recipient of the coveted Princess Grace Award for her film “Undercover” and was selected as a Lincoln Center New York Film Festival Artist Academy Fellow in 2015. Iman also collaborated with the non-profit Islamic Scholarship Fund to create the first ever American Muslim film grant where she currently serves as director. Iman works to amplify the underrepresented female voice. She wrote and directed her debut feature film AMERICANISH with a majority female crew. She currently is a professor of film production at the University of Florida.
