Mustache

This film features a new actor carrying the emotions of a 13 year old boy navigating puberty and the terrors and travails of high school. His path is complicated by his Pakistani heritage but his awkwardness and determination comes to a resolution that is genuine.

This emotional story is not the usual path seen in many films. Where some coming of age films produce strong emotions from a booming soundtrack this movie finds a gentler and authentic method.

This is the American experience for so many immigrants. While assimilation should not mean cultural annihilation, it does require evolution. The strictures of a Muslim upbringing somehow comes to terms with the humanity of learning how to be oneself.

This film highlights a unique phase in young brown life that largely goes undiscussed. The awkwardness of social life of a teenager paired with the ever apparent physical oddities that only some people have to go through is revealed in all of its non-glory. A mustache symbolizes the collision of childhood and premature maturity forcing both the teen and his parents to struggle with preparing for adult life without growing up too fast, and for the wrong reasons. "Mustache" cleverly balances the struggle of assimilation while inviting reflection on the temporary nature of teenage-hood, the long term dissection of societal norms, and the never ending quest for self-acceptance.

This movie perfectly symbolizes the step up between adolescence and adulthood for a young desi boy. The mustache, a physical phenomena in desi culture, a symbol of respect and a symbol of manhood. This movie perfectly encapsulates the internal struggle faced which changes in mind and body and self acceptance put up against societal norms and cultural values. It shows the awkward stage of one's life in their teens and how one navigates it accordingly while balancing both social and cultural aspects of life. 'Mustache' highlights something which is not very frequently spoken about. The bland reality of growing up.

Had the privilege to attend a screening of Imran J Khan's "Mustache" tonight, a universal tale that perfectly captures the transforative value of the performing arts. An incredible primarily South Asian cast becomes a narrative "every family" while totally honoring and immersing the audience into the culture nuanced and religious angst of growing up in the Muslim culture. Totally relatable and laugh out loud funny!

Alicia Silverstone delivers on a nostaligic and magical level as Ms. Martin, the drama teacher who welcomes the young protagonist into the ever-freeing world of drama class. Made me think of those teachers who gave me a safe space that allowed me to find my tribe and my voice. Shout out to Barbara Ann Stuth Gates, Gene Yates, Rosie Salinas, Bertha Zúñiga Campos - Harlingen TX teachers - who helped me turn what I felt was too different about me into the joy of being creative.

The young cast is great and its easy to see why this film won the Audience Award in the Narrative Feature competition at South by Southwest. Find this film it and see it! 🎥

Mustache is a quirky and sweet film that explores the immigrant and South Asian experience. Khan's film helps fill a void in the lack of representation in South Asian stories in contemporary film and media. Mustache helps narrate a coming of age story through a youth lens where the protagonist, Ilyas, a Pakistan-American, experiences social.pressures in response to his appearance and namely, his mustache, in his new school. Mustache is lighthearted, relatable, and an exciting drop for Pakistani-Americans waiting for films to tell their stories out there. Mustache is a must watch short film that sweetly reminds all of what it's like to grow up in an immigrant household.in suburban America.