Rifelion Announces First Feature Film 'Ramadan America'

Muslim Film Creatives Unite for Unprecedented Production

(Portland, OR) Rifelion Media has greenlit production on Ramadan America, a first-of-its-kind short film anthology written by, directed by, and starring American Muslims. The anthology is the debut film project by the award-winning podcasting and media company.

The feature-length Ramadan American comprises five narrative short films written by American Muslim writers, featuring Ramadan and Eid holiday stories. Filming began in late October and takes place in New York City and Los Angeles. The film will premiere in its entirety in March 2024 to coincide with Ramadan.

Rifelion has attached five notable American Muslim directors to the anthology: Jumai Yusuf (Wildflower, Pearl Rain), Huriyyah Muhammad (Chocolate With Sprinkles, Wonders), Amy Omar (Ayşegül on Tuesdays, Breaking Fast with a Coca-Cola), Kashif Pasta (Desi Standard Time Travel, Welcome to Surrey), and Ijaaz Noohu (Start Breaking My Heart).

Asad (B)utt, CEO of Rifelion, and Valerie Steinberg serve as Executive Producers. Producers for the projects include Thomas Bond (Fishmonger, Bite Size Halloween), Sara Seligman (The Mindy Project, Diego), Pinar Binay, Emily McCann Lesser (Farewell Amor, Materna) and Yuki Maekawa-Ledbetter (The Black Disquisition, Alieu the Dreamer). Shahjehan Khan, Charlie Golestani, and Mark Annotto are co-producers.

"With the state of the world right now, something artistic and beautiful from Muslim creatives could serve as a beacon," said (B)utt. "People are searching for a reason to hate, instead of recognizing our similarities and appreciating our differences. This production celebrates the spectrum of American Muslim culture and how, at the end of the day, we're all just people."

Rifelion acquired the scripts as part of a writing competition it conducted in conjunction with Islamic Scholarship Fund (ISF). The five scripts were selected from over 50 submissions from American Muslim writers.

Casting is currently being conducted by MA Casting.

For more information visit www.ramadanamerica.com.

Rifelion
8007 Oswego Ave.
Portland, OR 97203
503-389-5835
charlie@rifelion.com

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.