There has been an alarming increase in threats to filmmaker freedom of speech in the past year, from the loss of funding and distribution of work to the loss of residencies and teaching positions and the reality of being publicly targeted for actions as small as signing petitions and liking social media posts. There are profound implications for documentary professionals, whose work embraces the search for truth, especially for those who also personally face rising rising Islamophobia.

But filmmakers are not new to efforts to restrict their voices and their work. For years, they, along with film festivals and distributors, have worked hard to keep windows open for the presentation and circulation of perspectives that otherwise might not get any attention. How have creators worked to resist restrictions on speaking out? How have people and organizations fought to ensure that voices are not silenced? In this session, these filmmakers and other film workers discuss ongoing threats to creative expression and strategies of resistance.

Moderator: Aizzah Fatima (Islamic Scholarship Fund)

Panelists: Anam Abbas (This Stained Dawn), Farihah Zaman (Infinite Beauty), and Assia Boundaoui (The Feeling of Being Watched)