UK's First Major Muslim Film Festival Announces Star-Studded Lineup: Riz Ahmed, Nabhaan Rizwan, and More
The UK's first significant Muslim film festival was announced on Tuesday, revealing its inaugural lineup.
Notable stars in the lineup include Riz Ahmed and Nabhaan Rizwan.
Ahmed, an Oscar winner for best live action short film, will appear in Dammi, a short film directed by Yann Demange.
In this production, Ahmed co-stars with Isabelle Adjani, exploring a man's French and Algerian heritage during a trip to Paris.
The London film festival featured several noteworthy British and international films.
"In Camera" starred Rizwan as an actor facing repeated rejections in the film industry.
Other highlights included "Hounds," a crime yarn from Moroccan-born director Kamal Lazraq set in Casblanca, which won an award at Cannes.
"Inshallah a Boy," a Jordanian film about a widow pretending to be pregnant to avoid legal issues, also screened, as well as "Goodbye Julia" by Sudanese director Mohamed Kordofani, which was set during a specific period and focused on a woman from the north and her maid from the south.
Both "Hounds" and "Goodbye Julia" won prizes at Cannes.
The Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) aims to celebrate and amplify the diverse voices and experiences of Muslims in film, countering negative portrayals in mainstream media.
Festival director Sajid Varda describes MIFF as a vibrant celebration of cultures and stories from the Muslim world, showcasing both emerging and established filmmakers from around the globe.