Shadow and Act contributor Nijla Mu’min has been named one of the 25 new faces of Independent Film by Filmmaker Magazine. Her feature directorial debut, Jinn, is now in post-production.
“There’s a mainstream narrative about Islam in the media in this country, and with this film, I’m trying to get away from that and show what it means to be curious or fascinated, or to question your identity. I’m trying to take risks with my filmmaking and be aware of the impact images can have on a person.” she says. You can read the full feature on her here.
Written and directed by Mu’min and produced by Avril Speaks, Jinn follows black teenage Instagram celebrity Summer, whose world is abruptly turned upside down when her mother converts to Islam. Summer comes to terms with her faith and her identity, which all comes to a head when she becomes attracted to a Muslim classmate.
Promising a fresh look at identity, Islam, and first love in contemporary Los Angeles, “Jinn” has booked “Luke Cage” co-star Simone Missick (Misty Knight) to play Summer’s mother Jade. She joins a cast that also includes Zoe Renee (The Quad) as Summer, Hisham Tawfiq (The Blacklist), Kelly Jenrette (Pitch), Kelvin Harrison, Jr. (Mudbound), and Dorian Missick (Monster).
Mu’min, a California Institute of the Arts grad and Sundance Institute Fellow, pitched Jinn at the Film Independent Fast Track Film Market, and was the recipient of a Panavision New Filmmaker Camera Package. Her short films have screened at festivals across the country. She was the winner of a 2014 Best Screenplay Award from BET for her script, “Noor.”
Also, SFFilm, the presenter of the San Francisco International Film Festival, recently announced the recipients of its Spring 2017 SFFilm / Rainin Filmmaking Grant and Nilja Mu’min’s feature film Jinn is one of the honored projects. The grant has awarded $300,000 to narrative features in all aspects of production that will have “significant economic or professional impact on the Bay Area filmmaking community.”
Jinn recently wrapped principal photography this February and is currently undergoing post-production. If you’d like more information and updates about Jinn, please visit here.
