Hawzah News Agency (Toronto - Canada) - As an aspiring filmmaker, Ryerson alumni Hirra Farooqi went to a lot of film festivals while she was interning for the documentary “The Secret Marathon”. She once stumbled across a film festival specifically for female filmmakers and that sparked an idea in her head.

“I realized there has never been a [international] platform for Muslim filmmakers to showcase their talent [and] creativity,” Farooqi said.

This vision has been turned it into a reality with the help of Ryerson alumni and former RSU president Obaid Ullah Babar. On Jan. 6, the Muslim International Film Festival (MIFF) was officially launched. The film festival is expected to be held for the first time this December in Toronto.

She described the upcoming film festival as “the first of its kind” to ensure Muslim creators and creatives can come together and showcase films that celebrate Muslim excellence.

This film festival is also a way to showcase education through film and push boundaries through film for muslim filmmakers, she said.

However, representation, platforms and opportunities for Muslim creators in the film and entertainment industry are still lacking.

Awards season this year has already presented itself as being a predominantly white and male driven event. The majority of the nominees for this year’s Academy Awards identify as white, with four out of the five nominees for best director being white men. A Muslim director has yet to be nominated for an Academy Award.