AFMI Goes to Cannes

Cherien Dabis is a Palestinian American filmmaker and actress. Her trailblazing films “Amreeka” (2009) and “May in the Summer,” (2013) premiered at Sundance, Cannes and Venice and received widespread acclaim. She’s the recipient of dozens of awards, including the FIPRESCI Prize and Humanitas Award. Most recently, she wrote, directed, produced and starred in her highly-anticipated third feature film “All That’s Left of You,” which world-premiered to critical acclaim at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. In 2022, she became the first Palestinian Emmy nominee for her groundbreaking, silent episode of Hulu‘s “Only Murders in the Building.” Her acting credits include Netflix’s “Mo,” Amazon’s Prime’s “Fallout” and Tarik Saleh’s “Eagles of the Republic,” which is in competition at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Nia DaCosta is one Hollywood’s freshest and most in-demand voices, having written and directed projects for stage, film and television. Up next, DaCosta wrote, directed, and produced HEDDA, a reimagining of the play “Hedda Gabler”, for MGM’s Orion Pictures and Plan B. The film stars Tessa Thompson. Currently, DaCosta is in post-production on 28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE. In 2023, DaCosta directed and co-wrote THE MARVELS, making her the first Black woman to direct a Marvel Studios picture and youngest person to direct a film for the studio. Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson starred in the superhero film. In 2021, DaCosta directed and co-wrote the Universal Studios feature film CANDYMAN. Produced by Monkeypaw Productions, the film is a contemporary spiritual sequel of the 1992 classic of the same name. CANDYMAN, starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, debuted at #1 at the box office to critical acclaim. Her debut feature, LITTLE WOODS, was developed through the Sundance Institute, starring Tessa Thompson and Lily James. It premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival and was released theatrically in 2019, earning 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. In television, she directed two episodes of Netflix’s TOP BOY and worked as a writer for HBO’s INDUSTRY. 

Iman Zawahry is one of the first hijabi American-Muslim filmmakers in the nation. She has worked on numerous films that have played at over 150 venues worldwide. She’s an Emmy award winner, Princess Grace Award recipient, a Lincoln Center Artist Academy Fellow, Sundance Momentum Fellow, Sundance Universal Fellow and was a part of the Warner Brothers Directing Program. She is also the co-creator of the first American Muslim film grant with Islamic Scholarship Fund where she currently serves as Director of Film Programs. Iman works to amplify the underrepresented female voice and frequently consults and speaks across the nation on Muslims in Film. Her debut film, Americanish, has won twenty six awards, including best director and best film and has been distributed worldwide by Sony International Pictures.

Hanna Flint is a British-Tunisian film critic, writer and author based in London. Her work has appeared in Empire, the Guardian, The New Arab, Elle, Independent, Total Film, Sight & Sound, Town & Country, Mashable, IGN, and she is a regular guest on BBC’s Front Row, The Arts Hour and CBC. Her debut book, Strong Female Character: What Movies Teach Us, is a memoir that grapples with the intersection of cinema and identity. It was released to acclaim in 2022 and re-released in 2024.