Writer/Filmmaker, and S&A contributor, Nijla Mu’min is currently raising production funds on Kickstarter for her first feature film,"Jinn," a "sweet & serious" coming of age dramedy about a carefree black girl whose world is turned upside down when her mother converts to Islam, sending her on a quest for self-definition. It’s a fun, fresh exploration of identity, Islam, millennial culture, and new media. The story is loosely drawn from the filmmaker’s upbringing and explores religious interpretation and shifting family dynamics.
The script has garnered good ratings on the industry site "The Black List," and Topher Osborn, the cinematographer of "Dear White People," will shoot it this summer in Los Angeles. Mu’min is the past recipient of the award for Best Feature Screenplay at the 2014 Urbanworld Film Festival for her feature script, "Noor," for which a film is forthcoming. She was selected for the 2014 Sundance Institute Screenwriters Intensive for the same script. Her current short film, "Dream," is currently screening at festivals.
The campaign goal for "Jinn" is $25,000, with 25 days left. In their first week, they’ve raised over $9,000 and have been selected as a Kickstarter Staff Pick.
For much more on the project and the campaign, watch a video pitch below, and then visit the project’s Kickstarter page here.