Doris Duke Foundation, Sundance and ISF Announce Fourth Building Bridges Cohort

These artists are bringing to life stories that amplify U.S. Muslim storytelling and narratives.

The Doris Duke Foundation, Sundance Institute, and Islamic Scholarship Fund announced their fourth and latest cohort of the Building Bridges Fellowship on October 6, 2026. Muslim storytelling by providing financial resources, creative support, and industry mentorship to emerging filmmakers, focusing on narratives that address identity, belonging, and diversity.

Fellowship Support and Retreat at Duke Farms in New Jersey

Fellows receive an unrestricted artist grant along with a customized slate of services tailored to their individual career goals. According to sundance.org, the support package includes yearlong mentorship, a tailored Sundance Film Festival experience, a Sundance Collab Community Package, and access to the Sundance Institute’s ELEVATE program for year-round professional and project development.

In October 2026, the fourth cohort convenes at Duke Farms in New Jersey, for a foundational retreat.

During the retreat, fellows engage with a group of industry advisors. The roster of advisors includes historian and educator Zaheer Ali, director Dawn Porter, Munir Atalla from Watermelon Pictures, Rohi Mirza Pandya and Gitesh Pandya of Box Office Guru Media, and returning creative advisor Oualid Mouaness.

Building Infrastructure and Representation in Independent Film

Iman Zawahry, Film Programs Director at the Islamic Scholarship Fund, noted the long-term evolution of the initiative. Four years in, the Building Bridges Fellowship has grown from a fellowship into a community, a network of Muslim American filmmakers who continue to champion one another’s work long after their fellowship year ends, Zawahry stated, as reported by sundance.org.

Hajnal Molnar-Szakacs, Director of the Artist Accelerator and Women at Sundance Institute, said systemic support is essential. By combining unrestricted grants with bespoke, year-round creative and tactical support, we are investing in the long-term career sustainability of these artists, Molnar-Szakacs said.

Sundance and Islamic Scholarship Fund Select Four Filmmakers

Selected by a panel representing Sundance Institute and the Islamic Scholarship Fund, the four filmmakers making up the fourth cohort are:

• Aiman Mimiko, a Nigerian American writer-director, with the project Native Authority.
• Mariam Dwedar, an Emmy Award-winning Egyptian Filipina filmmaker, with the project The Farewell Kiss.
• Mohammed Ali Naqvi, an Academy member and award-winning filmmaker, with the project A Life on Terror.
• Mustafa Rony Zeno, a cinematographer and audiovisual artist, with the project Please Take Off Your Shoes.

From documentaries that capture experiences seldom before seen to original fiction projects that push the boundaries of our imagination, their stories are authentically specific and universally resonant.

Zaki Barzinji