LOS ANGELES - Dec. 22, 2020 - The international Black Muslim Girl Fly Film Festival (BMGFly Fest) returned for the third year with a keynote by award-winning producer, voice actor and creative branding specialist Thembisa S. Mshaka, musical performance by Amira Unplugged film screenings and three original screenplay finalists. The panel on Creating Stories for Black Muslim Audiences on the Hollywood Landscape and Beyond, included filmmakers Amatus Karim-Ali, Nijla Mu'min, Qasim Basir, Sultan Sharrief and Malikah A. Shabazz, was co-moderated by actress Janina Gavankar
along with BMGFly Fest founder, Nia Malika Dixon.
The 2020 program themed Freedom highlighted underrepresented and diverse stories by established and emerging Black (Muslim) women and Black filmmakers was held on Sunday, December 13th in partnership with Seed & Spark.
2020 BMGFly Fest Winners include:
Best Short Film: Henna // Directed by Hanaan Louis
Taiba, a resourceful Arab kid growing up in Brooklyn, shoulders responsibilities foisted upon her by her father's sudden death by selling amateur henna designs.
Best Documentary: Muslim Sheroes of Minnesota: Labor Organizer Nimo Omar // Directed by Ariel Tilson (https://vimeo.com/422650861)
A fierce advocate for labor justice, Nimo Omar defies stereotypes of Muslim women as an organizer bringing together East African workers to fight for their rights.
Jury Prize: tender // Directed by Felicia Pride (https://tendermovie.com) [WATCH film]
After an unexpected one night stand, two women at very different stages of their lives, share an even more intimate morning after.
Best Comedy: Love Supreme // Directed by Preacher Moss & Mustafa Davis (https://youtu.be/UJjG2EUZQbQ) [WATCH trailer]
Comedian Preacher Moss has a lot to say. The lecturer and anti-racism activist gets a lot of stuff off his chest in this live taping. He feels that difficult times call for gratitude and grace to harness the ability to laugh while navigating life's obstacles.
Best Experimental: The Beginning of the End // Directed by David J. Hamilton III (https://youtu.be/92EHHRRp6cc) [WATCH trailer]
Everything has a beginning. Even the end. While on her first return to Africa in 22 years, a Muslim immigrant chef grapples with the collapse of her marriage and the stress of meeting her biological father for the first time.
Honorable mentions include short narrative Love in Submission directed by Lande Yoosuf (short narrative) and screenplays for television pilot "This is My Life" by Ilhan Abdullahi and film short Amethyst.
The jury included TV/Film producer Effie T. Brown (DEAR WHITE PEOPLE), award-winning actor/producer Fanshen Cox (Pearl Street Films); producer/director Quan Lateef-Hill (BLACK GIRLS ROCK!); and actor Hisham Tawfiq ("THE BLACKLIST).
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Jasu Sims
