An Act of Worship

Feature-length documentary - 2022 Tribeca Film Festival world premiere, broadcasted on PBS POV

An Act of Worship began as a short documentary (co-directed by Sofian Khan and Nausheen Dadabhoy) following the first weeks of the 2017 Muslim Ban. From there the team expanded the project into a years long, wide-ranging look at the last 30 years of Muslim-American life.

Told through the lens of Muslims living in the United States, the film offers a counter-narrative of pivotal moments in U.S. history and explores the impact of anti-Muslim rhetoric and policy on young Muslims who came of age after 9/11.

This film has been a labor of love that has thankfully been supported by so many others in the Muslim community and filmmakers across the country, many of whom contributed home videos that became part of the film’s storytelling texture.

We were also lucky enough to gain support from an array of foundations and funders including JustFilms / Ford Foundation, Chicken & Egg, Perspective Fund, Sundance Institute, Firelight Media, Meadow Fund and many others who made the completion and impact campaign for the film possible.

I was able to take part in the Sundance Institute’s Creative Producing Fellowship in 2019-2020 with this project, around the time we were winding down production and getting deep into the editing process. The mentorship and support I received made an enormous impact on how I’ve approached my work moving forward.

An Act of Worship made its world premiere at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival and was acquired by PBS POV for broadcast on the 2022 season. This timeline perfectly suited our intention to launch a robust impact campaign following the film’s release, taking it to half a dozen cities around the country and engaging with the Muslim-American community.

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