Sundance: Building Bridges Documentary Fund Unveils Filmmaker Grant Recipients

Dessi Gomez
·3-min read

EXCLUSIVE: The Center for Asian American Media announced at Sundance the inaugural cohort of 15 Building Bridges documentarians, whose films will receive support as part of the Building Bridges Documentary Fund.

The fund is made possible with a $4.5 million grant from the Doris Duke Foundation.

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The initiative invests in storytelling about Muslims in the United States with the aim of fostering greater representation and understanding of U.S. Muslim communities by growing the canon of high-caliber documentaries that center them, CAAM says.

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The 15 projects funded in the inaugural cohort of CAAM’s Building Bridges Documentary Fund span diverse themes, including explorations of intergenerational relationships, music, love, and social justice.

“With genres ranging from docu-horror to experiential to investigative films, these works highlight the vibrancy and complexity of U.S. Muslim stories and contribute to a media landscape that leads with Muslim protagonists, , and their points-of-view,” says Leila Abu-saada, CAAM’s Building Bridges Documentary Fund Manager. “The review process for this fund was rigorous and competitive and the panel awarded films that met several criteria including works that widen the aperture of the U.S.-Muslim experience.”

To further their commitment to elevating U.S. Muslim stories, Doris Duke Foundation has also established a new Building Bridges Travel Fund, administered by CAAM, to provide 25 filmmakers in 2025 with the resources needed to participate in and have a presence at major national events and festivals that shape the entertainment industry.

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For the second year, DDF also serves as lead sponsor of The Muslim House at the Sundance Film Festival, an event produced by the Muslim Public Affairs Council’s (MPAC) Hollywood Bureausince 2016. Taking place January 26–27 at Pine Cone Ridge in Park City, Utah, The Muslim House will feature programming centered on community, creativity, and collaboration, along with insights from a wide range of talented voices including leaders of MPAC, DDF and CAAM. Under the leadership of the MPAC Hollywood Bureau,The Muslim House serves as a welcome gathering space for industry leaders and diverse filmmakers and film enthusiasts to celebrate the evolution and success of Muslim storytelling across the U.S.

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Find below a list of grantees (all pictured above), some of whom are in attendance at the festival (marked with the asterisk*) who will receive grants ranging from $25,000-$100,000 and their projects in various phases of production.

  • Alien Nation, Khaula Malik*

  • Tacabbir: A Somali Odyssey in NYC (working title), Aisha Jama

  • The Nile Splits, Zuff Shoya

  • Karachi Sky, Sofian Khan

  • The Jazz Caliphate – The Soulful Rhythms of Faith, Hisham Aidi

  • The Night Before the Truce (working title),Yumna Patel

  • Untitled Project,  Sura Mallouh

  • Chosen Fathers: Healing Through Brotherhood, Mobolaji Olambiwonnu*

  • Love Belt, Yusuf Ahmed*

  • Taxi Driver, Sara Chishti

  • Thank You for Thinking of Me,  Akram Shibly

  • Untitled Palestine Film, Ali Al-Arian & David Riker

  • Uncommitted, Razi Jafri

  • Traces of Home, Colette Ghunim

  • Junoon (working title), Zeshawn Ali

RELATED: Sundance: Park City’s Pedestrian-Only Main Street Move Proves A Success With Attendees, But Possible Festival Relocation Sees Boulder Flexing Its Muscle

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