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NFS: Hello Sue! Can you start by describing the MPAC Hollywood Bureau’s mission and function throughout the leisure trade? SO: In fact, however first, I want to thanks for this chance. The MPAC® Hollywood Bureau is a division throughout the Muslim Public Affairs Council Basis (MPAC®). MPAC is a public coverage group doing work on the intersection of coverage (by means of our outreach in Washington) and cultural/societal change (by means of leisure media). We’re not a lobbying group, however we focus our efforts on outreach, schooling, and analysis. We imagine that what occurs in leisure in the end impacts laws in Washington, DC.Right here is the elevator speech concerning the MPAC Hollywood Bureau:The MPAC® Hollywood Bureau modifications the narrative of Islam and Muslims within the leisure trade in order that audiences see Muslims as very important contributors to creating social and cultural change in America and around the globe. We do that by partaking choice makers and creatives to enhance the standard of genuine, nuanced, and inclusive depictions of Islam and Muslims. We additionally create alternatives for Muslim storytellers to inform their very own tales.Our predominant function throughout the leisure trade is to advertise cultural change by means of consulting on TV/movie tasks, develop and create/keep a expertise pipeline by means of our screenwriting labs and fellowships, and thought management by organizing and talking on trade panels.Credit score: MPAC Hollywood BureauNFS: I perceive the group has had a gradual presence at a number of notable festivals this 12 months, together with Tribeca, SXSW, and ATX TV Fest. Are you able to inform us extra about your programming throughout these completely different trade occasions?SO: These and different festivals just like the Sundance Movie Pageant give the MPAC Hollywood Bureau a powerful platform to interact with trade creatives and executives throughout the trade and from each Muslim and ally communities. It permits us to current our thought management by means of our panel discussions, the place we focus on vital points like illustration, movie financing and distribution, and the way the leisure trade can influence coverage and laws. These occasions permit us to heart Muslim voices in an area that doesn’t proactively embody us. It permits different rising communities, together with different creatives and choice makers, to interact with Muslim expertise. These occasions are an ideal networking alternative for everybody. It helps in having us be seen as world contributors and the fantastic individuals we’re.NFS: Do you’ve got a favourite reminiscence or anecdote from MPAC’s programming all through the primary half of 2025?SO: On June twenty fourth, Zohran Mamdani received the Democratic nomination for Mayor of New York. That is historic for American-Muslim communities, and actually America at giant. Nevertheless, the extent of vitriol in the direction of him is unreal. I’m not positive why I’m shocked, as a result of individuals worry what they don’t know. Now that we’re midway by means of 2025, I’m reflecting on all of the programming the MPAC Hollywood Bureau has completed to raise conversations round Muslim narratives and storytelling, which after all, contains the fixed and mild schooling that’s wanted of others about Muslims and Islam, to not preach however undo a whole lot of mis- and disinformation.The anecdote is a reminder of simply how very important this work is, not simply to the trade however to the nation. This isn’t misplaced on me.NFS: Inform us extra concerning the MPAC Hollywood Bureau’s artistic consultancy work. How do you method your collaboration with writers in making certain acceptable and nuanced Muslim illustration of their storytelling?SO: Our method could be very easy. We need to be additive and wish of us to love working with us, not as a result of we wish or should be “likeable” however as a result of we perceive that there’s a lot of fallacious details about us and need to create an atmosphere the place outreach and schooling are snug, enjoyable, however most significantly, enlightening. We determined way back that the MPAC Hollywood Bureau is just not going to be a watchdog of the trade. There are many advantages to being a watchdog group, however we felt that, as a result of that is the lengthy recreation, we’d be higher off being “companions” to the leisure trade for the explanations above. Our consulting entails focusing not simply on optimistic portrayals, however genuine and nuanced ones. We additionally concentrate on separating “Muslim tradition” from the faith of Islam. There are such a lot of cultural practices that come out of the Muslim-majority nations that even Muslims get them confused. We work exhausting to separate the 2. Moreover, we work with writers’ rooms to higher develop characters and narratives that embody Muslims and Islam. Oftentimes, we’re simply out there to reply questions so the writers’ room can do its factor. Our most up-to-date enjoyable venture was consulting on Deli Boys, which is on Hulu. We hope that it will get renewed for a second season and will get nominated for tons of Emmy Awards in July.Credit score: MPAC Hollywood BureauNFS: At such a politically fraught interval in U.S. and world historical past, your advocacy work should tackle explicit significance. How does a company like MPAC navigate the present political local weather whereas nonetheless staying true to its mission?SO: These are fairly loopy occasions for positive. I grew up as an immigrant from the Center East. I’ve lived by means of the racism after the Arab oil embargo within the mid-70s, the Iranian hostage disaster within the late-70s, and 9/11 in 2001. Typically I’m shocked at how used to the ache I’m, which is a bit scary. Getting used to ache is just not essentially factor. At the moment, in moments of worldwide battle just like the struggle in Gaza, Islamophobic political rhetoric throughout the nation and from our nation’s management, anti-semistism, the disaster with our immigrants – each documented and undocumented – the worldwide refugee crises, it’s type of exhausting to remain optimistic, however we now have no different alternative. The opposite alternative we don’t have is to deviate from our true selves. We keep on level by persevering with to succeed in out to decision-makers throughout the leisure trade to supply roundtable discussions to studios on how these points influence storylines and narratives, and honestly, how individuals really feel about Muslims and Islam. We additionally care very deeply concerning the morale of American-Muslim creatives whose voices and skills are essential in telling tales that talk to the second. The leisure trade is essentially the most highly effective trade there’s as a result of it impacts individuals’s considering and beliefs.NFS: Islam can clearly embody all types of racial and ethnic range. How does MPAC advocate for such range in Hollywood past its emphasis on Muslim illustration?SO: Nice query. There are nearly 2 billion Muslims across the globe, and we’re undoubtedly not a monolith. If the faith of Islam is being represented in a screenplay or sequence, then the principle focus is to verify it’s being represented precisely, particularly when the Quran (Islam’s scripture) is quoted. Almost about the racial and ethnic range, when we now have roundtables with writers’ rooms, then we focus on the make-up of the worldwide Muslim group.If a specific Muslim group is a part of the story/narrative, then we are going to make certain there’s accuracy and authenticity there. If we aren’t material specialists, then we are going to pull in those that are. The Black Muslim group is the biggest Muslim group in America, making up round 25%. Hollywood often focuses on Arab and South Asian Muslims as characters. The Black Muslim group is the one one we proactively attempt to elevate when consulting. What I imply is – if there’s a character of Center Japanese or South Asian descent, we focus on altering the character to a Black Muslim as a result of this group is almost all of Muslims in America, and but their narratives are nearly invisible within the leisure trade. Typically that works, typically it doesn’t. Credit score: MPAC Hollywood BureauNFS: Are there any creatives within the trade whose profession trajectory you might be particularly enthusiastic about?SO: Oh, sure. Apart from the extra seen ones like Mo Amer, Ramy Youssef, Hasan Minhaj, be looking out for comic Yasmin Elhady of Muslim Matchmaker, author/director Nida Manzoor of We Are Woman Elements, author/director Iman Zawahry of American-ish, and author/director of Queen of My Goals, and author/actor Aizzah Fatima of American-ish but in addition the nationwide Capital One commercials. They’re doing a little nice stuff.NFS: Do you’ve got any upcoming applications or occasions you want to inform us extra about?SO: I’m excited to be talking on a panel at Comedian-Con on July 24, 2025. The Muslim Home® will likely be again on the Sundance Movie Pageant on January 25 & 26. This would be the final one in Park Metropolis, so we count on it to be enormous.Thanks once more for this chance.