Iman Zawahry’s “Americanish” Is All Set To Celebrate Asian American Heritage Month

Lillete Dubey, Aizzah Fatima, Salena Qureshi, in Americanish

Consultant by day and professional dancer on weekends, Neha loves…

The first of its kind, “Americanish” is a rom-com about Muslim American women made by a Muslim American woman. It’s the story of three young women in New York City – two career-oriented sisters and their cousin with a goal to find a suitable husband.

While navigating through a series of funny events, the film also focuses on the essence of what it means to be a Muslim woman living in America. Having to constantly juggle between family expectations, cultural norms, and their own aspirations and dreams, Muslim American women are so much more than their stereotype of being oppressed and submissive.

The film is aptly set in Queens which is home to more than half of New York City’s South Asian immigrant population and features Jackson Heights which is known for some of the best South Asian food and clothing stores in the city.

Iman K. Zawahry - Filmmaker - Americanish — Image Source: Facebook via @americanishfilm

The film is written and directed by Iman K. Zawahry and features Lillete Dubey, Aizzah Fatima, Salena Qureshi, and Shenaz Treasury as the lead cast. With a release date of May 23rd and its world premiere at the CAAMFest (Center for American Asian Media Festival), “Americanish” couldn’t have had a better release date than during the Asian American Heritage Month, especially given all the heightened emotions due to the increased violence against Asian Americans in recent times. A lighthearted yet authentic break from the traditional romantic comedy, “Americanish” spotlights different layers of feminism as it intersects with religion, culture, immigration, and the current sociopolitical climate.

Iman Zawahry’s films have shown in 100 venues worldwide and she was hailed by the former artistic director of the Sarasota Film Festival as, “The funniest filmmaker I’ve seen. A true treasure of humor.” Her film “Tough Crowd” won a Student Emmy Award and qualified as a finalist in the NBC Comedy Short Cuts.

While we look forward to some much-needed comedy this film promises to entertain us with, for now, you can check out the film’s trailer here.