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Exclusive: Actor-comedians Ramy Youssef (Ramy) and Hasan Minhaj (Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj) have boarded Mustache, the 2023 SXSW Audience Award winner from first-time feature filmmaker Imran J. Khan, as executive producers.

The pair join a stellar producing team, which also includes Academy Award winner Riz Ahmed and Allie Moore exec producing for Left-Handed Films (The Long Goodbye), Good Movies Inc., and producers Christina Won (Birdman) and Jessica Sittig, among others.

Minhaj is now involved in a dual capacity, as he also has a comedic supporting role in the film.

An homage to John Hughes coming-of-age films, ’90s nostalgia, and awkward teenage transitions, Mustache is a Northern California story revolving around 13-year-old Ilyas, a Pakistani American portrayed by new discovery Atharv Verma, whose world is turned upside down when his parents abruptly transfer him from his familiar Islamic private school to the challenges of public education.

Struggling with the mash-up of...

The path to paradise, so it has been foretold in Islamic scripture, is through loving and respecting one's own mother. As axiomatic yet clichéd as this sentiment may seem today, there is some merit to these words: to be connected to the family matriarch is to remain closely tied to one's own culture. To retain such a connection means to possess a greater understanding of who we are, not just as individuals but members of a greater cause. From a three-minute short to a one-woman play to a feature length debut, Fawzia Mirza's ‘The Queen of My Dreams' is an ambitious demonstration of what happens when that connection has been compromised, and the journey required to claim it back.

The Queen Of My Dreams is screening at San Diego Asian Film Festival Spring Showcase

After her father (Hamza Haq) dies tragically during a visit to Pakistan, Azra (Amrit Kaur...

“The Queen of My Dreams” has been on its way to the big screen for more than ten years. Though not originally planned as a feature, writer and director Fawzia Mirza originally saw the story through life as both a short film and a stage play, based on her own experiences as a queer Pakistani-Canadian woman. The title is a literal translation of “Meri Sapno Ki Rani,” the wildly popular Hindi song from 1969’s “Aradhana.”

The film opens with narration from Azra (Amrit Kaur), Mirza’s self-insert, who has a complicated relationship with mother Mariam (Nimra Bucha) — but the two share an uncomplicated, undying love for the movie “Aradhana” starring Sharmila Tagore and Rajesh Khanna. When Azra’s father Hassan (Hamza Haq) suffers a fatal heart attack, Azra must join the family in Pakistan to mourn his passing — and salvage a rocky relationship with the only parent she has left.

A narrative trifurcated across decades and generations, Fawzia Mizra’s “The Queen of My Dreams” follows a young Pakistani Canadian coming to terms with her upbringing. It hits all the familiar beats of a first-generation South Asian story and, despite its novel queer bent and tongue-in-cheek casting, it does little to separate itself, thematically or stylistically, from a now repetitive form of “third culture” storytelling.

The sound of a slide projector yanks the film’s opening images into place, as though it were a slideshow of family memories. The year is 1999. The place is Toronto. Azra is a wannabe actress — a profession of which her mother disapproves. She lives with her white, female “roommate” (her parents are none the wiser), to whom she excitedly shows the 1969 Hindi classic “Aradhana” starring Sharmila Tagore. “The Queen of My Dreams” is an English translation of the title of that movie’s most famous song,...

Exclusive: Riz Ahmed and his Left Handed Films have come aboard the 2023 SXSW Audience Award winner Mustache, marking the feature directorial and screenwriting debut of Imran J. Khan, as executive producers.

In addition to Ahmed and Left-Handed’s Allie Moore, exec producers on the project include The Bear creator Christopher Storer, as well as Tyson Bidner and Josh Senior. Christina Won and Jessica Sittig produced, with Parker Mays co-producing alongside Cooper Wehde of American Light & Fixture. UTA Independent Film Group is handling worldwide sales.

Khan comes to the partnership with Ahmed and Left Handed a year after being named one of the inaugural participants of the Pillars Artist Fellowship, their filmmaker program created with Pillars, as a means of mentoring and championing rising Muslim talents.

An homage to coming-of-age films, ’90s nostalgia, and awkward teenage transitions, Mustache takes place in mid-’90s Northern California, where 13-year-old Pakistani American Ilyas...

Fawzia Mirza’s charming debut The Queen of My Dreams begins with a familiar and heartbreaking revelation. “I used to worship my mother,” our protagonist Azra (Amrit Kaur, The Sex Lives of College Girls) says through voiceover. “I thought she was perfect. I tried to be like my mother, but I wasn’t.”

As with most daughters navigating fractious relationships with their mothers, Azra’s entry into adulthood coincided with the shattering realization that her mother is only human. The woman who guided her since infancy and counseled her through challenging moments carries her own traumas. She doesn’t always understand Azra and, perhaps most upsettingly, she might not want to.

The Queen of My Dreams is Mirza’s take on a recognizable theme. It joins a formidable batch of films exploring mother-daughter relationships this festival season, a group that includes Raven Jackson’s gorgeous and poetic film All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt...

Mustache is a movie that may seem small-scale at first glance, but its big heart won it the Audience Award in the Narrative Feature competition at the SXSW Film & TV Festival. Written and directed by Imran J. Khan in his feature film debut, Mustache follows Pakistani American teen Ilyas (Atharva Verma) as he leaves behind the comforts of his Islam-centered private school for an unfamiliar public school. What he can't leave behind, however, is the mustache that has grown faster than he's comfortable with at his young age.

Equal parts absurd comedy and heartwarming family drama, Mustache explores who Ilyas wants to be when set against the expectations of his parents (played by Meesha Shafi and Schitt's Creek star Rizwan Manji) and the pressures of fitting in for the outside world. Though it is set in the '90s, Mustache is a timeless tale that feels just as relevant to teens today.

Growing up is hard. Growing up with a mustache that started to grow out before hitting puberty is even harder. Add to the fact that Ilyas is a Pakistani American teen going to public school for the first time, and one can expect a few shenanigans to be had. Written and directed by Imran J. Khan, Mustache is a touching, sometimes humorous coming of age. The film isn’t shy about wearing its heart on its sleeve, and though it doesn’t delve too deep into certain aspects of Ilyas’ life, Khan handles the story and the main character’s feelings gently.

Ilyas’ (Atherma Verma) mustache started growing at the age of ten. He’s been stuck with it ever since and, despite being 14 years old, his parents (Rizwan Manji and Mojeane Sadr) won’t let him shave it. Due to his father’s flailing business, Ilyas is also faced with a big change,...

After the sudden collapse of Silicon Valley Bank last week, it’s perhaps worth noting that with the failure of tech-sector lenders and startups alike, an entire constellation of associated industries suffers as well. The pain trickles down throughout the community, impacting the likes of the Pakistani-American small business owner and his family at the center of Imran J. Khan’s 90s-set feature Mustache.

Although such a scenario might not appear to be entirely amusing, Khan finds the humor in hardship when his 13-year-old Muslim protagonist is forced to readjust his life after his parents make a difficult decision about his education. While not a typical teen comedy, Mustache approaches the genre from a perspective that’s gently humorous and refreshingly clever, even if it’s quite a bit tamer than mainstream fare.

Comfortably coasting through eighth grade at his private San Jose Muslim school, Ilyas (Atharva Verma) has a...

Exclusive: Rizwan Manji (Schitt’s Creek), Atharva Verma (Stargirl), Ayana Manji, Meesha Shafi (The Reluctant Fundamentalist), Alicia Silverstone (The Killing of a Sacred Deer) and Hasan Minhaj (The King’s Jester) have signed on to star in the Pakistani American coming-of-age film Mustache — the first feature from writer-director Imran J. Khan.

Largely autobiographical for its filmmaker, Mustache follows Ilyas (Verma), an eccentric 13-year-old boy who sets off to navigate the social hierarchy of his new California public school with a mustache his parents will not allow him to shave off. Manji will play Ilyas’ father Hameed, with Pakistani-Canadian singer Shafi playing his mother, and Manji’s daughter Ayana set to portray his school friend, Yasmeen.

Details as to the roles of Silverstone and Minhaj haven’t been disclosed. But Christina Won (Birdman) and Jessica Sittig of MakeSay are producing along with American Light and Fixture’s Christopher Storer...

Mira, Royal Detective – Disney Junior

Bollywood music and dance will be celebrated in the acclaimed animated series Mira, Royal Detective. In four extended-length specials that will begin airing May 2nd and culminating June 20th on Disney Junior, will not only showcases Bollywood but with higher stakes mystery and adventure. The series is also available on Disney+.

Since its premiere in March 2020 and for more than 100 stories, Mira, Royal Detective has highlighted the rich, diverse cultures of India. Each episode centers on the clever heroine Mira and her friends, including her sleuthing mongoose sidekicks Mikku and Chikku, as they help others by solving mysteries in their kingdom community of Jalpur. Mira, Royal Detective boasts a talented South Asian cast, including Freida Pinto, Kal Penn, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Hannah Simone, Jameela Jamil, Aparna Nancherla, Aasif Mandvi, Sonal Shah, Parvesh Cheena, and Leela Ladnier as the voice of Mira.

One of the most fantastic things about Mira,...

Mira, Royal Detective – Disney Junior

Throughout Season 1 of the excellent animated Indian imbibed series Mira, Royal Detective, children both young and old have learned, danced, sang and followed and solved the clues with the young detective. Inspired by the cultures and customs of India, the series follows the brave and resourceful Mira, a young girl who travels throughout the fictional land of Jalpur solving mysteries for her friends, family and extended community.

Now get ready because season 2, which looks to be even more, is set to begin on April 5th on Disney Junior and DisneyNOW, with new episodes every Monday for eight consecutive weeks.

Season two will include an episode highlighting the Eid al-Fitr holiday debuting Monday, May 3 (5:00 p.m. Edt), and episodes celebrating the festivals of Teej and Dasara, as well as four extended-length music- and dance-filled specials. Not only that, season one of the series will begin streaming on Disney+ on Friday,...

Exclusive: The second season of Disney Junior’s animated mystery adventure Mira, Royal Detective is set to debut April 5 at 5pm Edt on Disney Junior and DisneyNOW, with a new episode airing every Monday for eight weeks after.

Inspired by the cultures and customs of India, the series follows the brave and resourceful Mira, a young girl who travels throughout the fictional land of Jalpur solving mysteries for her friends, family and extended community. The series further bolsters authentic representation of the Asian community — specifically the South Asian community.

The sophomore season of the animated series will include an episode highlighting the Eid al-Fitr holiday on May 3. There will also be episodes celebrating the festivals of Teej and Dasara, as well as four extended-length music- and dance-filled specials.

As an added bonus, season one of Mira, Royal Detective will drop on Disney+ on April 30.

The series voice cast includes Freida Pinto,...