Muslim Youth Voices

In a sparse Staten Island apartment, a young Muslim American man struggles with feelings of loneliness. Looking for connection, he finds an Islamic Center located a ferry ride away. Where he once prayed alone, he now prays with others in community.

Grocery shopping can be stressful. This film lets us into the inner monologue of one young woman’s anxiety as she braves the aisles of a store where she encounters other customers and a less-than-helpful clerk in her quest to pick up a few things — and get out of there.

In this documentary, the filmmaker shares why he needs to run — and it’s not just for the exercise. For him, running is a matter of mind over body. When he runs, he can overcome pain and push himself to accomplish more than he could have imagined.

A red apple waits in a grocery store to be picked. The big day finally comes when it is purchased, bagged, and brought to a home. Told from the point of view of the apple, this film shares the inner monologue of a fruit that just wants to fulfill its purpose in life as a healthy snack.

On the basketball court, a boy trash talks his opponent. When he can’t seem to score a point, he become increasingly frustrated and quits. With the help of his older brother, he learns a lesson in humility, hard work, and the true value of playing sports with others.

As he eats his boring bagged lunch from home, Rizky feels that something’s not quite right with the new school lunches served to other students. In this tale of high school politics, nefarious plans, and zombies, Rizky saves the day with an unlikely weapon.

What happens when a teenager asks a parent if he can go out at night with his friends and the parent says no? What if the parent says yes? This film explores the outcomes of both scenarios and the importance of trust in a parent-child relationship.

In this mockumentary, 10-year-old twin sisters Noor and Haya share their thoughts about each other. Haya expresses love and admiration for her sister. But Noor confesses that her twin drives her nuts. She also suspects that her sister is an alien and sets out to prove it.

Six years after the death of his mother, Riyaz Ali recalls memories of everyday life with her, from taking family road trips together to the way she used to pick out his clothes for him. Juxtaposing his recollection of childhood with scenes from his life today as a young man in New York, Ali shares his love and grief in this elegiac tribute.

What does success mean? What is happiness? These are the questions that Kamal Ahmed reflects upon after a lifetime of hard work with his hands. For many years, he was a janitor at a large public housing complex. But now pain from arthritis keeps him from working. In this loving portrait of her father, Primi Akhtar shares his wisdom and her hopes for him.

“It takes more than just strength to be a fighter,” says 14-year-old Abdullah Davis. “You have to have a certain level of heart to do the sport.” Abdullah and his older brother Muhammad train and compete in martial arts. In this documentary, the two boys and their grandfather Bill, a Vietnam War veteran, contemplate the mental perseverance it takes to succeed in a fight — and in life.

In this lighthearted comedy, Amna keeps annoying her older sister Rafaha with declarations about changing the world. When Amna says she’s going to stop global warming and promote equal rights, Rafaha says, “good luck with that.” But Amna proves her cynical sister wrong by showing her that you’re never too young to care.

In this documentary, filmmaker Dunya Khalil brings attention to Syrian refugees, particularly children and youth who have become orphans. She learns about young people who have been purposely shot in the spine in order to paralyze them and prevent them from rebelling against the government.

A young woman named U76T lives a mundane and ordinary existence, going to work every day at a factory and collecting her food ration. But everything changes one day when she’s summoned by the queen and meets someone unexpected along the way.

Money and power corrupt in this tale of politics set in the Pacific Northwest. Basil has ambitions to become the mayor of Portland. To do so, he takes money from a shadowy figure, giving up everything he stands for in the process — even his own name.

In the near future, Congress passes a law targeting Muslim Americans that bans religious garb in public. The government sets up a new surveillance agency to enforce the law. When two Muslim boys go outside to play basketball, they risk getting caught.

Mina is looking forward to her high school graduation — and especially to seeing her sister from Tehran who plans to attend the milestone event. When the Muslim Travel Ban goes into effect and keeps the sister from visiting, Mina’s friend has an idea to cheer her up.

Shemsedin recounts the day he arrives in America with his sister. With a sense of wonderment — but also some apprehension — he cautiously explores his new home. When he’s unsure of how to navigate his new school and make friends, a teacher notices and helps him find his way.

Cutting remarks from her mother send a teenage girl on a quest to change her appearance. Bombarded by media messages that reinforce the notion that lighter skin means prettier, the girl slathers on a product that claims to make her “white before you know it” until she comes to a breaking point.

From the first line, “I feel like I’m on fire,” Mikel Aki’leh delivers a powerful poem on beauty and blackness. Against a rhythmic score, Aki’leh enumerates the ways in which she’s been told that her black skin is “a sign of dirt” to others — and how she ultimately finds strength and confidence through her faith.