Dear John,

On behalf of the Muslim Public Affairs Council Hollywood Bureau, congratulations to the 10 winners of the 2022 Muslim List. In collaboration with the Black List and Pillars Fund, the Muslim List highlights the top unproduced scripts written by Muslim screenwriters.

Read Deadline's announcement about the Muslim List winners

Each of the 10 writers and their projects fills me with great hope for the future. We're honored to be partnering again with the Black List and the Pillars Fund. Thank you to Franklin Leonard, Kate Hagen, and the entire Black List team, Arij Mikati and the team at the Pillars Fund for their collaboration.

 

Read about the writers and projects:


ANDI, TODAY by Ida Yazdi

Andi Jamali, a 15-year-old Iranian American living in New Jersey, is suddenly reunited with her mother after ten years on a popular daytime talk show. After being apart for most of their lives, Andi and her mother, Maryam, must find a way to reconnect and make up for lost time.
 

ASTRAY by Faizan Kareem

A widowed Muslim doctor, also an aspiring Imam, grapples with his faith upon discovering his child's transgender identity.

 

CHOKE by Rolla Selbak

Sara Beda is a martial artist whose dreams were destroyed, along with her family home, in the war in Syria. The story follows her and her family's journey as Muslim refugees in the suburbs of America and her rise against adversity on her quest to become an MMA champion of the world.

 

CHOP CHOP by Afshan D’souza-Lodhi

CHOP CHOP is a dramedy that gives us an insight into the goings-on of an all-female halal butchers just outside the city. With Eid just around the corner and butcher shops nearby being closed down, the women won’t let anything, or anyone, get in the way.
 

COCOA DOLL by Jumai Yusuf

A Young Black woman takes a nanny job for a rich white family, but soon uncovers that they’re hiding a deadly secret.

 

HEIRLOOM by Fawzia Mirza

Zareen, a queer, South Asian, Muslim woman, just got engaged to the love of her life. But when her mother refuses to let her wear the family heirloom jewelry at the wedding, she, her best friends, and fiancée turn their joint bachelorette party into a good ol' fashioned heist.

 

LOST IN THE PINES by Chris Pickle & Asil Moussa

When a headstrong 14-year-old Muslim American girl Layla and her father, Will, crash their canoe on an epic backcountry camping trip, they are forced to hike 100 miles across the perilous forest to get help. Now in the unforgiving wilderness, they battle wolves, struggle against the elements, and join forces with a stray dog, all while finally coming to grips with their relationship after the death of Layla’s mother years earlier.

 

MIDNIGHT IN KANSAS by Malik Aziz

An established Black Muslim Hollywood attorney flies home to Kansas to defend his sister against her alleged attack on a white man.

 

RULES FOR CONDOMINIUM LIVING by Nastaran Dibai & Firoozeh Dumas

Set in Newport Beach in the late ’70s, this comedic coming-of-age story is told from the perspective of an Iranian teenager whose California dreams and family’s life are upended when Iran and America become official enemies due to the hostage crisis.

 

THE SKY WE LOOK UPON by Ali Imran Zaidi

On an overnight train through the rural Pacific Northwest, a newlywed couple returning home to feuding families is trapped in a bloody high-wire conflict — where they must choose a side to survive.

Congratulations again to each and every one of the this year’s Muslim List winners. We look forward to watching them take their projects from script to screen. 

In peace,

Sue Obeidi
Director, Hollywood Bureau

Founded in 1988, the Muslim Public Affairs Council improves public understanding and policies that impact American Muslims by engaging our government, media, and communities. Our policy analysts provide insight from D.C. to the palm of your hand on the most pressing issues impacting American Muslims. Email is an important way for us to communicate with supporters like you. Should you want to stop hearing from us or change your preferences, click here to update your contact info or unsubscribe.

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