Moonlight & Movies: Americanish

In honor of AAPI Heritage Month, join us for a screening of Americanish (Iman Zawahry, 2021, 107 min). The film, set in Jackson Heights, Queens follows two sisters and their newly-immigrated cousin as they navigate the consistent and sometimes conflicting demands of romance, culture, work, and family. Serving both as a lighthearted reimagination of and critical divergence from the classic romantic comedy, Americanish tackles and celebrates the complex intersectionalities of womanhood by welcoming us into the world—with all its joys and tribulations—of these three women.  A Q&A with Iman Zawahry (Director, Writer, Producer) and Aizzah Fatima (Writer/Producer) will follow the film.

Copresented by Asian CineVision (ACV), this screening is part of the Museum's monthly Moonlight & Movies series. 

About the Speakers:
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 150 venues worldwide. She’s an Emmy award winner, Princess Grace Award recipient, a Lincoln Center Artist Academy Fellow, and Sundance Momentum Fellow and Sundance Universal Fellow. She is also the co-creator of the first American Muslim film grant with Islamic Scholarship Fund where she currently serves as Director of Film Programs. Iman works to amplify the underrepresented female voice and frequently consults and speaks across the nation on Muslims in Film. Her debut film, Americanish, has won twenty six awards, including best director and best film and has been acquired by Sony Pictures. 

Aizzah Fatima writers the often untold and remarkable stories of immigrants, women, and people of color. She has degrees in Microbiology and Computer Information Systems, and worked at Google before turning in her perks to become a filmmaker. She is the recipient of the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art grant with Brooklyn Children's Theatre, and has written the book for the musical The Ten Year Test which is the first children’s musical to feature Muslim protagonists in the US. Her play The Scholar was commissioned and published by the Religion & Diversity Project (Canada). She co-produced the horror feature film titled Horror Time which is executive produced by James Franco. Her TV pilot Muslim Girls DTF: Discuss Their Faith is the winner of the 2020 Roddenberry Impact Award, and the winner of the 2020 Yes, And...Laughter Lab with Comedy Central and 3Arts. In 2021 she graduates with her MFA in Film & TV Writing at Emerson College.

Watch the Trailer:

Event Logistics (subject to changed based on NYC regulations):

• Please contact programs@mcny.org with any questions or ticketing issues.
• All sales are final; refunds not permitted. Exchanges and credit for future programs only. Programs and dates may be subject to change.