Exclusive: the Center for Asian American Media Advertise on Sundance Inaugural cohort of 15 Building bridges documentary, whose films will receive support as part of the New Bridges Documentary Fund.
The fund was made possible by a $4.5 million grant from Doris Duke Foundation.
The initiative invests in telling stories about Muslims in the United States with the goal of enhancing representation and understanding of American Muslim communities by cultivating high-caliber documentary-focused films, CAAM says.
The 15 projects funded in the inaugural collection of CAAM’s Building Bridges Fund Mortse explore diverse themes, including explorations of intergenerational relationships, music, love, and social justice.
“With genres ranging from moco rahi to experimental films to investigative films, it highlights the vitality and complexity of Islamic stories and contributes to a media landscape that leads with Muslim heroes, and their perspectives,” says Laila Abu. -Suda, Director of CAAM’s Bridges Document Fund. “The review process for this fund was rigorous and competitive, and the committee awarded films that met many criteria including works that expand the aperture of the American experience.”
To further their commitment to elevating Muslim American stories, the Doris Duke Foundation has also created a new travel fund, administered by CAAM, to provide 25 filmmakers in 2025 with the resources to participate and gain a presence at major national events and festivals that shape the entertainment industry.
For the second year, DDF also serves as a major sponsor of the Muslim House at the Sundance Film Festival, an event produced by the Hollywood offices of the Muslim Public Affairs Council in Park City 2016. Utah’s Muslim House will include programming focused on community, creativity, and collaboration, along with insights from a wide range of Talented voices including leaders of MPAC, DDF and CAAM. Led by the MPAC Hollywood office, The Muslim House serves as a welcoming gathering space for industry leaders, diverse filmmakers, and film enthusiasts to celebrate the evolution and success of Muslim stories across the U.S.
Find below a list of recipients (all pictured above), some of whom are featured at the festival (marked with an asterisk*) who will receive grants ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 and whose projects are in various stages of production.
- Alien nationYour uncle, Malik*
- Takaber: A Somali Odyssey in New York City (working title), Aisha Jama
- The Nile is dividedShut up a little bit
- Karachi SkySufyan Khan
- Jazz Succession – Emotional Rhythms of FaithHisham Edi
- The Night Before the Armistice (working title),Yumna Patel
- untitled project, Surah Malwa
- Chosen Fathers: Healing through Brotherhoodmobolaji olambiwonnu*
- Love beltYoussef Ahmed*
- taxi driver, Sarah Chishti
- Thank you for thinking of me, Delicious compliments
- Untitled Palestine movie, Ali Al-Mari and David Riker
- not committed, Razi Jafri
- house effects, Colette Gonnem
- Junon (working title), Zeshon Ali
