Welcome to Knight Talks: The University of Florida Colleg of Journalism and Communications Talk Show produced by students for student I am Ariana Psarakos, a Senior studying Journalism.

And our guest today is Iman Zawa an accomplished filmmaker and Media Production, Management, and Technology lectu at the College of Journalism and Communications.

Her most recent work, Americanish, premiered in 2021 and has earned accolades at film festivals nationally.

Hi Iman, thank you so much for joining us Thank you so much for having me, I'm so excited to be here.

Students on campus know you as a film professor, but what other work do you do outside of the University of Flo Thank you so much for this quest and thank you for having me.

I'm really excited to be at Knig And "for students by students" i something very exciting for me since my students are my number Besides teaching here, which I kind of call my "day-job I have two other jobs, which is to work on my film proj I have about three to four proje I'm working on right now in development at different stag hoping to go into production within the next couple of years next year; directing television as well.

I also-- which is like my heart and my passion-- is I co-created the first American Muslim film grant to fund American Muslim fi And we're now in our ninth year with Islamic Scholarship Fund.

And that's something I really en and is kind of where my main pas That is awesome.

When did you realize you had int in storytelling and filmmaking?

So I grew up in Panama City, Flo which is a very small town in the Panhandle of Florida.

And if anybody knows Panama City, it's not very diver So-- we were very-- me and my friends, we are all Arab Muslim women, little girls and we were trying to kind of fit in into what was an area where we felt very other And so what we would do to pass because it's also really boring besides the beach-- is we would create skits and com And so I was always in this aspe of telling stories and doing kind of different artistic thing So I was-- I'm going to show my but Arsenio Hall was big then-- so I was Iman Hall and we had the Iman Hall Show, we had commercial breaks, and they were always comedically because that's where my my heart lies-- is in comedy.

So you started in this productio pretty young?

Nice to hear.

Yeah, for sure!

What was your academic journey that led you to where you are to So that's a great question.

You know, being first gen immigr and this is for any immigrant co your parents want you to go into medicine, usually.

And particularly being Muslim and being brown.

All of my family members, my dad the eldest of seventeen, they're all physicians.

And so, my path was already laid out for me, like I had to be a d And so I came here in undergrad at the University of Florida and I changed my major five time I started off, of course, like m students do, like Pre-Med and I was like, "Okay, I'm not going to do it."

And so then, I went to five diff majors and I ended up with Relig and Near Eastern Languages and C which is basically Arabic and He So I double-majored in that in t of Liberal Arts and Sciences and afterwards when I graduated, I w "Okay, I'm going to get my Ph.D. in Islamic Studies so I can educ about Muslims," because I was a Muslim activist.

I've always been a Muslim activi kind of taking away from the vio and oppressed stereotype that Muslims get in America.

So I had taken on this huge role on myself.

I started wearing a scarf when I was here in college and I was president of Islam on during September 11th.

So a lot of these things were kind of happening in my lif And I was thinking, "Okay, well, if I'm gonna get my I'm going to be educating those who already want to be educated and I'm not going to be educatin the ones that are like in the middle of America that do anything about Muslims or our cu So I decided to go to film schoo and so I know that my parents were going to be very not supportive of tha So I didn't tell them.

And I had gotten married.

After I graduated, my husband got into law school a and I was told that FSU had one of the strongest film school And I was like, "Okay, I'm just going to do it."

So I went, I applied, I got in c and then I told my parents and they're like, "Okay, fine."

But then every moment after that even when I took them to L.A., when I was on the red carpet to pitch a sitcom to NBC, I came and they're like, "Hey, when are to take your MCAT?"

Or "Now you can take your LSAT."

So it was like a whole journey a but that was kind of my journey.

on how I got into academics.

That is so nice.

I, too, am a first generation st and my little sister is a pre-med and my older sister she just finished law school.

Oh, nice!

So I know the struggle of doing production.

You won a Student Emmy Award for your film Tough Crowd.

What was that film about and what did winning an Emmy do Did it confirm that you're on th right track?

Yes, thank you for that question So the film is a short film and it's kind of autobiographica It's about this girl who wants t stand-up comedy, but her sister to take the MCATs and so she is to learn how to do stand-up come and then she has this rival who and that's something that I alwa to kind of play off of comedy-wise, is the Muslim-Jewis tension that happens.

So there's comedy from it, so they're competitors, but at the end, of course, they're friends.

But so that's kind of what the story is like.

She went through her dream of go through comedy and not going int and of course, winning the Emmy for that was like so-- it was so surprising because I'm one of the first hij filmmakers in the nation, and that's kind of one of the fi that people have seen a comedy o woman regularly that is not bein as oppressed or has an accent or can't do anything for herself So it really did affirm, like, you know, we have a space here and particularly in comedy, that it was kind of able to pull So it was very much a validation in that I'm in the right career and I have space for myself here Right, that's nice.

And it almos of reflects your life.

Yes, exactly.

That is nice.

So you've consulted on televisio shows such as The Odyssey and th What was your role on those proj Yeah, you what's really awesome about consulting-- and one I've been doing a lot is as well, now, is my colleagues from film school-- they are in t positions, to where they're writ these television shows and they're writing Muslim chara And the biggest problem about writing Muslim characters and not being a part of the culture itself, when you write about something e it's always wrong.

I'm going to say-- it's always w because they're like, what I'm s always like, verifying a stereot So they would have a-- for each these shows, there was a Muslim One was an imam, one was a musli and one was someone else.

And they would call me and ask m "Is this correct, the way that I portraying it?

I'm going to have the character doing this.

Would doing this?

Is this honest to yo and to who your culture is and to what the religion practic So that was kind of my role into sure that portrayals of Muslims were correct on the screen.

Right, because a lot of people w stereotype a lot of different groups of people.

One hundred percent.

So, that's important.

Tell us about Americanish, both the film and more recently showing it at festivals.

How does that feel?

Yeah, so Americanish took eight years for me to make.

We're actually in our ninth year as we're premiering and so it's been the biggest jou It was-- I always say it was one the most traumatic experiences o because it was so challenging.

We spent four years writing the script and raising m So, an independent film-- I want sure it was independent to where creative control and I wasn't being told what to It's particularly a story about Muslim women, which, again it's the first American-Muslim rom-co made by an American Muslim woman So, it meant a lot to me.

And so that's why my passion-- and I always tell my students th is like if you want to do someth your passion is what's going to And every year I would say I was dying throughout.

But my passion is what kept me g and wanting to make sure that I tell the story of represe So it was a really hard experien But at the end, and particularly after we premiered-- I don't kno anyone has a feeling of this-- i when you stay with something for and when you're working on a pro for so long and when you're maki something for so long, you start to second-guess yourse "I don't know if this is very go maybe no one's going to like it.

So then I always have to remind which is also advice to students general, it's like-- when you ma something that you will like and that's honest to yourself, it will reflect in others and people will relate to it.

So we premiered in San Francisco which is my favorite city in the and we premiered on the San Fran because outside through a drive- and also on streaming because it was still COVID.

But it was just such an amazing It was magical because I was in favorite city, it was on the bay and people were watching the fil for the first time and they all And we won the Audience Award at that festival, so our premier went through and so it again ver we did this, people want to see And what's also super awesome about Americanish is it tells the story of three Muslim women, so many ethnic groups relate to We've had-- when I was in Cincin we had a Thai man that took me a and he had tears in his eyes and to me, you know, "Thank you for making this movie can now show my white in-laws what it's like to be me in Ameri And we've had-- I had an older seventy year old white male who "I know this story.

This is me a my sisters, you know?"

And so, it transcends, in the im of telling film or in art in gen and it transcends, what the imag like and it's about the heart of of being like, wanting love and wanting career, and wanting Yeah, that is super nice.

I actually am from California.

I'm a little southern than San F so I understand exactly when you "That's my favorite city," because that's my favorite city, Oh yeah!

I love San Francisco, it's so pr You were named Best Feature Dire the La Femme International Film as well as other distinctions.

What do these achievements mean So it means, of course, a lot.

I always try to tell myself, and to my students, "I don't need this recognition t that what I'm doing is great."

But, it's really hard in this in As we know, it's led by a predom you know, white male kind of cou So, it is really important that that I've been trying to work fo eight years is being recognized moreover being recognized as being a Muslim woman for telling stories because we have been kin shut out for such a long time in being able to tell that story so, it really, really means a lo And also it just means that, aga like I was saying before, there's a place for it.

So, you know, we've won fourteen Seven of them were Audience Awar which means like-- and all of our screenings were s you know-- which means that they want a story like this because they haven't seen it bef So, it just kind of affirms, lik we have a place, our stories are We need to make sure to tell these authentic stories.

And the more authentic story you connection you create with audie and the more peace you create in the world you know, instead of having such conflict.

Where do you draw inspiration fr for your projects?

So my inspiration for all my pro come from myself and my own stor It's really important-- and it's thing I tell students is-- you r to tell stories from your own ex and from your own voice, because when it's going to be the most r and relatable.

When someone tries to tell a sto of the voice, it feels inauthent And so, my biggest thing is real to help students and even myself hone your own voice.

So particularly with this, with Americanish, this was based off Muslim women from a play-- and t Muslim woman that I know, right.

My second feature is about me growing up in Panama City and kind of like a road trip fil So, you know, these experiences all kind of pull from what I kno and I think that's the most impo thing to work in, and you know t show that Muslim women are not a and we have agency over our own And that's really important to m It is very important for everybody to know.

What were some of the biggest ch you've encountered in your caree So, of course the biggest challe first, it was being a first.

So firsts are very difficult.

It's always like the seconds or that kind of have the propel, but the firsts kind of-- well they always say-- pave the And I had-- one of the directors of the film festival said "You guys are breaking down the but you have arrows on your back And it's really challenging to b because you have to show people the importance of what you need.

You have to prove that you need and all of those kinds of things So that's incredibly challenging And the biggest challenge, just as a Muslim filmmaker in ge is making sure that we are telling a narrative that is not the narrative of the terrorists and the angry Mus which we are still, still to thi fighting for.

And it's very frustrating because we're trying to pull into authentic storytelling in e ethnic group, but I feel like th group is really low on the totem pole in that sense.

And, you know, I teach a class h called "Islam, Media, & Pop Cult It's a really fun class that that talks about how Muslims are portrayed in different areas of film and t And you know, there's always stu in the class, that I was just ta recently that are like, "You know, it's really hard beca parents believe this about Musli and I'm trying to educate them o what I'm learning and how I know from you.

But it's really challenging because it's ingrained in them."

Right, so the systemic version of what you think of a whole gro it's-- they have to unlearn it and they have to be willing to u So that's been like, of course, the overall challenge in everything that I do as just a filmmaker and artist, professor and even the director of the Film Grant.

And then the other one that's really challenging, which I keep on bringing up, is telling comedies.

In independent film, no one wants comedies, they all want these really stron melodramas.

So I'm coming in with these pret broadish, you know, especially m they're like a little bit broade and it's like they don't know know what to do with it.

And particularly with Americanis it being a first of its kind, in general, the rom-coms-- But with the Americanish, it's l light rom-com, but we're dealing a lot of serious issues-- racism within, without culture, women in the workplace, what it' to be a Muslim in a kind of Trum of an America.

And so these are serious issues while keeping it So-- which I was very concerned but I've been told that it went so I'm glad to hear that.

So, those are kind of like-- had my biggest challenges and obstac Well, that's nice.

That you're trying to overcome i the way for more people to come Thank you.

Who do you look up to in the ind Any mentors?

So that's another problem that I what's challenging is because I was one of the firsts, I didn't have anybody before me and that's why mentorship is incredibly important to me and that's why I mentor others a So, I don't have any sort of men but someone that really did kind of show me that I'm able to this is Mira Nair.

And Mira Nair is a British-India female filmmaker and she did The Namesake and Monsoon Wedding and it was the first time when I saw on-screen that there was a brown woman on- and I'm like, "Oh wow, we can have brown people on-screen, this is amazin And I remember being so... like it shook my world, impresse you know, ready kind of to do th because she had paved that way.

So that's kind of been like, you my biggest inspiration in that s Well, that's really cool to hear Is there anything you know now that you wish you would have kno when you first began your career That's a great question, and I w thinking about this because I do I'm really about-- I'm extremely ambitious, and I take chances.

And so I don't know if I would-- I don't know if I would change a because it's got me to where I a I think about where I was when I was younger and how like passionate and like super d and so like high energy that I w And I think the one thing I alwa myself is like, "Iman, just calm down.

It's not that serious," But it got me to where I am now.

But I think that, you know, staying true to yourself and you will always get "no's"-- tha thing that's like my entirely li and particularly as a filmmaker rejection.

Ninety-nine percent o is rejection.

And, you know, you just can't have that hold yo And so, that's the biggest thing And I think I learned that very when I was younger.

And that's kind of what pulled m it was like "it's okay, I got rejected again this, I got rejected from that.

It's fine.

Kind of, create and keep moving on."

Failure is your biggest path to Right, I always tell people, "What is done is done.

You did t you could with the information you had at the moment."

One hundred percent.

And now, you're a different pers I love it.

Yes, exactly.

The media landscape has shifted due in part to streaming and the How do you see the industry chan the next five to ten years?

Yeah, you know, this is somethin actually have a real large diffi because I am such a film purist.

like not being able to go to the and not having my film portrayed like shown in theaters, like, I don't want anybody watch the m unless it's in theater.

You know, it's hard for me.

So, the industry changing to where it's theater and stream because of the situation we have with COVID, I think is l really taking away from the art storytelling and filmmaking and I know a lot of people in th community believe the same thing So, I'm just waiting for us to go back to theatrical.

However, in terms of streaming, what's really helped marginalized communities is they so much more platforms to tell s And so that's been really amazin and I really love and see that.

And I think that-- and moreover- everybody that's helped me to my to this point has been a woman o is that having more people of co in positions of power to give artists the ability to tell thei So I think we're going to see mo and more of that.

The downside of having so many things in streaming is that it's just like content overload, and so your stuff gets lost in t And, you know, when we're talkin about distributing Americanish, I'm being very adamant about it theaters, even if I have to do i And so, like, we're hoping like pushing out for a theatrical release in the summer and then we can go to streaming.

But then I have the same questio is like, "Okay, yeah, it's great get on Netflix, but it's kind of where are you going to find it in the mix of thousands of like titles as well?"

So I think the industry is going continue in its journey-- like t probably going to be more types Netflixes, there's going to be m opportunities for people to crea But I really, really hope that studios are not the only on that are dominating the theatric and that we make sure that we ha you know, really larger and more authentic stories.

But what I am seeing is because of the push for diver and inclusion in the industry, i are seeing ourselves portrayed o I was just watching the Pixar-- Pixar movie Turning Red.

Something like Turning Red-- and this Asian-American story, which big-- and then when we were watc there was a Sikh security guard and there is like a little girl wearing a scarf in the classroom Like, these little parts of incl are so incredibly important and members of the LGBTQ community-- so it's making sure that we have And I think that something that' definitely going to change in th and for the positive and hopeful that we are going to see more of portrayed in-screen because what seeing on screen is not what is in our society-- so I'm excited about that.

Right, that is very exciting.

Like you say, I totally agree th streaming devices make everythin more accessible.

But something a going to the theater is so excit Like, you get ready, you call your friends like, "Oh, we're going to go to the theater today."

Yea, a hundred percent.

It's so exciting.

Yeah, the popcorn in the darknes yes for sure.

Right.

What are good starting po in the film industry as someone to get started.

What can student to be successful on the set?

Yeah, so to be successful on the and that's what I really teach i classes is professionalism and hard-working mentality.

So, if you are professional and you are like go-getter to where you're standi but you're always being super he and you're thinking outside of t you will get hired so quickly an It's sad to say, and not in a negative way, but hardworking and professionalism actually outbeats talent in the People will pick you up so quick And that's why these kind of silly movies get m is because these people are hust And so being hardworking, being easy-going, you know, what I rea when I'm working with my student or someone that's PA or students that I take with me to film sets or that I work with la is that I know that when I ask t something, they'll always find a to do it or they will be positiv instead of being like, "I can't really do that."

Or "I'm not, you know, I don't have time for that."

Or "I have to do this."

So, being available, being a hard worker and being extremely professional are the biggest things.

And then of course, collaboratio you know, working with others is the most important thing that you have to have on a set.

And so those three things are th things for being successful in the industry.

The other thing in terms of getting positions, y it's the same thing-- you have t Production Assistant position.

And what I always say, though, a it's incredibly important-- and I would learn this when I was in film school-- is you ne find what you want to do.

So if you want to be a cinematog a producer, or a director or a w you need to make sure when you g college, you go into those areas because that's how you build up.

You don't usually go from like a editing position to a producing that's kind of rare.

So find wha that you really want to do and then find a PA position in t And, you know, I know a lot at U they put a lot on internships and sometimes internships don't really come through.

And I always tell students, find that you love, find the producti that made that movie, and reach them on LinkedIn and you can get PA job or internship job much easier that way, instead of kind of waiting for an internship for like, you know, Turner or NBC or something like that.

Yeah, I totally agree with that.

I want to be a reporter.

So I found the company I want to and I've applied for every singl position they have-- even for an Awards Show Coordina Yes, alright Ariana, that's so e Doing it right!

With the success of Americanish, what goals are you now striving So, you know, the biggest goal i of course, to distribute the fil so that, you know, our communiti ourselves on screen-- very impor And then my next project, right?

So every filmmaker is trying to do their next thing So I want to make sure that I fund my next project and And so I have two features that working on right now that I'm re excited about and you know, overall eventually directing a mainstream studio fi So those are my kind of bigger g Those are great goals.

Do you have any advice for stude looking to break into film or perhaps the best piece of adv you've received?

Okay, so the best piece of advic I think I've received that I would put onto others, and-- which I think is like the theme that everybody's talking about r is-- your body has rights over y and to make sure that you take c and slow down when you need to.

Because I've been working fiftee to get to this point, but I have projects, so many speaking engag so many advisings, so many consultings, mentoring students.

And it's like, wow, like how much can one person rea So you need to kind of-- time management is incredibly importa and to take time for yourself, b yourself is a really big thing a The biggest advice that I have-- and that's incredibly important students-- and that I say this before and all the time is-- know your voice.

It's incredibly important.

And do not be shy about your voi because I want to hear your stor You have a story to tell.

I could never tell that; it's very unique to who you are.

And so do not shy away from what you want to tell in terms of you And so that's the biggest advice that I would give to students.

That is actually the best advice you could have given us because I always tell people I used to be shy until I was thi and then I found my voice and I have not shut up ever sinc Yes, Ariana!

I talk, talk, talk ever since.

Thank you Iman for coming here, giving such great advice, and gi your life journey in a sense-- and giving us your aspirations of what you want to do in the fu And thank you, our viewers, for joining us.

Until next time, goodnight.