From breaking bread throughout coasts to advocating for an inclusive Hollywood by way of sincere op-eds, the academic work that MPAC® Hollywood Bureau conducts has all the time stored neighborhood on the forefront. This system is led by Director Sue Obeidi, the center of MPAC’s Hollywood Bureau.
That group ensures Islam is precisely portrayed in media, and that creatives from these communities and past are related, creating probably the most nuanced, very best movie and tv works.
This was a strong dialog about Hollywood and the state of the world.
Let’s dive in.
Credit score: MPAC Hollywood Bureau
NFS: Hello Sue! Can you start by describing the MPAC Hollywood Bureau’s mission and position inside the leisure business?
SO: In fact, however first, I want to thanks for this chance. The MPAC® Hollywood Bureau is a division inside the Muslim Public Affairs Council Basis (MPAC®). MPAC is a public coverage group doing work on the intersection of coverage (by way of our outreach in Washington) and cultural/societal change (by way of leisure media). We’re not a lobbying group, however we focus our efforts on outreach, training, and analysis. We consider that what occurs in leisure finally impacts laws in Washington, DC.
Right here is the elevator speech in regards to the MPAC Hollywood Bureau:
The MPAC® Hollywood Bureau modifications the narrative of Islam and Muslims within the leisure business in order that audiences see Muslims as important contributors to creating social and cultural change in America and around the globe. We do that by partaking determination 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 important position inside the leisure business is to advertise cultural change by way of consulting on TV/movie tasks, develop and create/keep a expertise pipeline by way of our screenwriting labs and fellowships, and thought management by organizing and talking on business panels.
Credit score: MPAC Hollywood Bureau
NFS: I perceive the group has had a gradual presence at a number of notable festivals this yr, together with Tribeca, SXSW, and ATX TV Fest. Are you able to inform us extra about your programming throughout these totally different business occasions?
SO: These and different festivals just like the Sundance Movie Competition give the MPAC Hollywood Bureau a powerful platform to have interaction with business creatives and executives throughout the business and from each Muslim and ally communities. It permits us to current our thought management by way of our panel discussions, the place we focus on necessary points like illustration, movie financing and distribution, and the way the leisure business can impression coverage and laws. These occasions permit us to middle Muslim voices in an area that doesn’t proactively embrace us. It permits different rising communities, together with different creatives and determination makers, to have interaction with Muslim expertise. These occasions are a fantastic networking alternative for everybody. It helps in having us be seen as world contributors and the great individuals we’re.
NFS: Do you could have a favourite reminiscence or anecdote from MPAC’s programming all through the primary half of 2025?
SO: On June twenty fourth, Zohran Mamdani gained the Democratic nomination for Mayor of New York. That is historic for American-Muslim communities, and actually America at massive. Nonetheless, the extent of vitriol in the direction of him is unreal. I’m not positive why I’m stunned, as a result of individuals concern what they don’t know. Now that we’re midway by way of 2025, I’m reflecting on all of the programming the MPAC Hollywood Bureau has executed to raise conversations round Muslim narratives and storytelling, which after all, contains the fixed and mild training that’s wanted of others about Muslims and Islam, to not preach however undo lots of mis- and disinformation.
The anecdote is a reminder of simply how important this work is, not simply to the business however to the nation. This isn’t misplaced on me.
NFS: Inform us extra in regards to the MPAC Hollywood Bureau’s inventive consultancy work. How do you strategy your collaboration with writers in guaranteeing applicable and nuanced Muslim illustration of their storytelling?
SO: Our strategy could be very easy. We wish to be additive and wish of us to love working with us, not as a result of we would like or have to be “likeable” however as a result of we perceive that there’s a lot of flawed details about us and wish to create an surroundings the place outreach and training are comfy, enjoyable, however most significantly, enlightening. We determined way back that the MPAC Hollywood Bureau is just not going to be a watchdog of the business. There are many advantages to being a watchdog group, however we felt that, as a result of that is the lengthy sport, we’d be higher off being “companions” to the leisure business 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 laborious to separate the 2. Moreover, we work with writers’ rooms to raised develop characters and narratives that embrace Muslims and Islam. Oftentimes, we’re simply obtainable 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 Bureau
NFS: At such a politically fraught interval in U.S. and world historical past, your advocacy work should tackle explicit significance. How does a corporation 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 way 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. Generally I’m stunned at how used to the ache I’m, which is a bit scary. Getting used to ache is just not essentially a very good factor. At the moment, in moments of worldwide battle just like the battle 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 form of laborious to remain optimistic, however we have now 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 achieve out to decision-makers inside the leisure business to supply roundtable discussions to studios on how these points impression storylines and narratives, and in truth, how individuals really feel about Muslims and Islam. We additionally care very deeply in regards to the morale of American-Muslim creatives whose voices and skills are essential in telling tales that talk to the second. The leisure business is probably the most highly effective business there may be as a result of it impacts individuals’s pondering 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 collection, then the principle focus is to ensure it’s being represented precisely, particularly when the Quran (Islam’s scripture) is quoted. With reference to the racial and ethnic range, when we have now roundtables with writers’ rooms, then we focus on the make-up of the worldwide Muslim neighborhood.
If a specific Muslim neighborhood is a part of the story/narrative, then we’ll be certain that there may be accuracy and authenticity there. If we aren’t material consultants, then we’ll pull in those that are. The Black Muslim neighborhood is the biggest Muslim neighborhood in America, making up round 25%. Hollywood often focuses on Arab and South Asian Muslims as characters. The Black Muslim neighborhood is the one one we proactively attempt to elevate when consulting. What I imply is – if there’s a character of Center Jap or South Asian descent, we focus on altering the character to a Black Muslim as a result of this neighborhood is almost all of Muslims in America, and but their narratives are nearly invisible within the leisure business. Generally that works, generally it doesn’t.
Credit score: MPAC Hollywood Bureau
NFS: Are there any creatives within the business whose profession trajectory you might be particularly enthusiastic about?
SO: Oh, sure. In addition to 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 Desires, and author/actor Aizzah Fatima of American-ish but additionally the nationwide Capital One commercials. They’re performing some nice stuff.
NFS: Do you could have 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 Competition on January 25 & 26. This would be the final one in Park Metropolis, so we anticipate it to be big.
Thanks once more for this chance.
