“Ramadan America” — Rifelion Media’s first-of-its-kind film anthology written by, directed by, and starring American Muslims just released its trailer. The anthology features five stories set during Ramadan and Eid in America. The five films in the series span many genres, themes, and cultural nuances in an effort to showcase what Ramadan and Eid mean to different Muslims and collectively celebrate stories of love, family, and tradition.

Rifelion Media, the award-winning podcasting and Media Company originally acquired the scripts as part of a writing competition it conducted in conjunction with the Islamic Scholarship Fund (ISF). The five scripts were selected from over 50 submissions from American Muslim writers. The company recently announced that Ramadan America will be showcased at The Muslim House. The timing also coincides with the Muslim holiday Ramadan, which starts on March 11.

The Muslim House, established by the MPAC Hollywood Bureau in 2021, stands as a dedicated space elevating American Muslim voices at prestigious events such as the Sundance Film Festival, SXSW, and Tribeca. In partnership with the Doris Duke Foundation, It serves as a platform for vital discussions that hold significance for American Muslim communities.

“Rifelion could not be more proud and excited for the premiere of Ramadan America this week at The Muslim House,” said Asad Butt, the founder of Rifelion. “This is a testament to all of the hard work all five of the production teams put in to make this anthology happen. We are thrilled to share these short films with the world and spotlight all of the amazing American Muslim talent. Happy Ramadan!”

“As a Muslim, being able to participate in this kind of intimate and special cultural storytelling where every piece of the project was being touched by Muslims was truly a gift,” said Rizwan Manji, who is in part of Ramadan America’s cast for Nani’s Biryani along with his son Aariq Manji. Rizwan is known to audiences for his work in Schitt’s Creek, The Magicians, and Transformers, among others. “Working with my son early in his career on a script written by my friend Faroukh Virani and to share the possibilities and importance of this kind of project is something I will remember for the rest of my life.”

ABOUT RAMADAN AMERICA SHORT FILM ANTHOLOGY

THE EID GIFT

Friends and families gather for the Eid celebration. A husband and wife celebrate the holiday in their own special way.

Written by Halimah Iman (Outside of Me, Sam and Diane, False Awakening)

Directed by Jumai Yusuf (Wildflower, lili[s], Pearl Rain)

Starring: Moneer Yaqubi (Shooter, Homeland, Charlie Wilson’s War), Jenna Bosco (New Amsterdam, Ramy, The Blacklist), Solyana Girum (A Nurse to Die For, The Memory in my Heart) – Full cast here.

NANI’S BIRYANI

A young Muslim-American boy begins to connect with his cultural roots and heritage when he gets schooled by his grandmother on how to prepare a traditional dish for social media.

Written by Faroukh Virani (iZombie, Hunters, Walker) & Jeff Chanley (Present Trauma, Accepting Canaries, Love the Rhubarb)

Directed by Huriyyah Muhammad (Wonders, Outgrown, Keloid)

Starring: Saman Hasan (Anxious., Keep Going Joon, Mysore Magic), Saima Huq (King Lahiri, Casting By, Tapis rouge), Aariq Manji (Blue Boy, Shameless, Basement), Rizwan Manji (Schitt’s Creek, The Magicians, Transformers)  – Full cast here.

GEDU’S GIFT

A grandfather’s ritual of gifting his grandchildren a riddle every Eid turns into a high-stakes game when they are given a week to solve his final riddle to them…or risk losing their entire fortune.

Written by Sarah A. Mostafa

Directed by Amy Omar (Aysegül on Tuesdays, Breaking Fast with a Coca-Cola, Baba in Graceland)

Starring: Yaser Al-Nyrabeah (My Big Heist, Life Unexpected, The Man with the Cardboard Box), Joseph Kamal (Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again, The Flight Attendant, Call of Duty: Black Ops III)., Dastan Davoodian, and Habiba Zakaria  – Full cast here.

PLAYMATES

Three young cousins at a family Eid party plan the ultimate heist: Getting their hands on their uncle’s adult magazine stash.

Written by Wahab Shayek

Directed by Kashif Pasta (Desi Standard Time Travel, Welcome to Surrey, Mom vs. Machine)

Starring: Orbal Farhad, Saif Haj (Let Me Go, SEAL Team, Players), Shayan Fazli (The Chosen, The Way Home), Hedyeh Falsafi (Wake Up Sleeping Beauty, NCIS, Silver Carnation) – Full cast here.

IN THE MEANTIME

A woman with epilepsy, now newly married, contemplates divorce at the emotional minefield that is her family’s Eid party.

Written by Sarwat Siddiqui

Directed by Ijaaz Noohu (Start Breaking My Heart, Emigrate, Anomalisa)

Starring: Hina X. Khan (Stargirl, Creepshow, I Think You Should Leave), Kausar Mohammed (Appendage, The Flash, 4400) Behzad Dabu (How to Get Away with Murder, The Chi, The Good Place) – Full cast here.

ABOUT RIFELION

Rifelion is a production company elevating diverse voices, founded to combat the negative stereotypes of Muslims in the media. Rifelion shares the untold stories of American life and culture centered around American Muslims and other minorities through film, podcasts, blogs, and social media. Media profoundly influences pop culture, attitudes, and politics — diversity, equity and inclusion are necessary steps toward thoughtful and lasting representation for those whose stories have been misrepresented, erased, and ignored. For more information visit www.rifelion.com.