Amplifying the work of Muslim artists in pop culture.

Mariam Zaidi is a South Asian filmmaker, film programmer and arts manager based in Toronto. Almost two decades ago, Mariam moved to Canada on her own, prompted by an interest in filmmaking. Struggling as a newcomer to find her footing motivated her to work in organizations that supported the growth of emerging artists, and to find spaces that had a focus on gender equity and better inclusion in screen-based media.

Her directorial debut Safar: Journey (2014) went on to premiere at a number of festivals world-wide and won Best Short Documentary at the We Care Film Festival in the UAE. In 2017 her short film Over Time received the WIFT & DGC award at Reel Asian Film Festival.

Alongside her independent film work, Mariam is a Senior Programmer at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival and Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival, and previously oversaw the Breakthroughs Film Festival as Executive Director. Most recently she worked on the distribution and impact campaigns for the Canadian films, Academy-Award Nominated, To Kill a Tiger (TIFF, 2023) and An Unfinished Journey (Hot Docs, 2024).

Mariam completed a Master of Fine Arts in Documentary Media at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Aizzah Fatima is an award-winning filmmaker, actor, playwright, comedian and ex-Google engineer. She has been featured on NPR, The Guardian, Woman’s Hour (BBC), The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Time Out, The New York Times and The Huffington Post.

Aizzah starred in, produced and wrote the award-winning feature film Americanish which was released by Sony International for worldwide distribution in November 2023. She is currently recurring as Medical Examiner Annemarie Mercer on Law & Order (NBC). Other TV acting credits include New Amsterdam (NBC), Blue Bloods (CBS), High Maintenance (HBO), The Code (CBS), Mr. Robot (USA Network), The Good Wife (CBS).

She received a Becoming America grant through Pop Culture Collab and is a recipient of The Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art grant with Brooklyn Children’s Theatre.

Aizzah received her Master in Fine Arts in Writing for Film & TV from Emerson College and is a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Cadar Mohamud is a first-generation Somali Canadian storyteller and the founder of The Digital Sisterhood (TDS), a media platform dedicated to amplifying the voices of Muslim women.

Established in August 2020, TDS aims to unite Muslim women globally by creating spaces for authentic storytelling and challenging prevailing stereotypes about their lives and identities. Cadar’s vision for TDS is to empower Muslim women to reclaim their narratives and share their stories, thereby countering the often one-dimensional portrayals of their experiences in mainstream media.

Under her leadership, The Digital Sisterhood has evolved into a chart-topping podcast since its inception in 2021, garnering over 10 million listeners and a significant social media following. The podcast addresses crucial topics such as mental health, domestic violence, and identity, aiming to foster community and inspire change through powerful narratives.

Cadar holds a Bachelor of Arts in Human Rights and Equity Studies from York University, which she completed in 2020.

Sikandar Atiq is the Chair of the Mosquers Film Festival, one of the world’s largest film and arts festivals for Muslim creatives. He is also the President of Next Equities, a growth and venture capital fund.

Professionally, Sikandar previously worked at Goldman Sachs and has had several successful entrepreneurial ventures and exits. He has been selected as a 2023 Edifier by Edify Magazine and was named a Finalist for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award. He also serves on the Mayor’s Advisory Council on Business Growth and Opportunities in Edmonton and is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization.

Sikandar has been involved with the Mosquers since day one—first as an amateur filmmaker, and more recently on the Board. As Chair of the Mosquers for the past five years, Sikandar has overseen its growth from a local grassroots film festival to a globally recognized and respected arts and film festival with attendance, submissions, and exposure from across North America and the world.

Sikandar received a Bachelor of Commerce with Distinction from the University of Alberta, and MBA from New York University, Stern School of Business where he was an InSITE Fellow and the President of the Stern Private Equity Club.

Timaj is an Ethiopian-Harari multi-disciplinary artist, community organizer and arts funder.

Previously, as the Senior Manager, Outreach & Access at Toronto Arts Council (TAC), Timaj supported outreach and access to initiatives. She has led development of and now manages the Black Arts Program—a dedicated funding program for Black artists, and Black-led, Black-serving, and Black-focused artist collectives and arts organizations.

Timaj is also a practicing spoken word artist, singer, and songwriter, performing, facilitating workshops, and hosting arts-based events both locally and globally. Some notable events featuring performances include Muslimfest, Reviving the Islamic Spiriting, the Being ME conference, Aga Museum’s Moonverse showcase and approximately 300 other events and engagements within the Muslim community and beyond.

Timaj believes in the transformative power of the arts to strengthen communities and is deeply passionate about creating greater access and amplifying the arts in Toronto’s underserved communities.

Dr. Zainub Verjee CM is a prominent advocate for art as a public good. In recognition of her over four decades of leadership in cultural policy, cultural diplomacy, cultural planning and institution-building and shaping Canada’s arts landscape, she was appointed to the Order of Canada.

In 1989, she co-founded and co-directed In Visible Colours: An International Women of Colour and Third World Women Film/Video Festival and Symposium. This is regarded as “the critical and foundation film festival in Canada”.

As a scholar, she has been part of many research projects and think-tanks to strengthen post-secondary art education in Canada and Internationally as well as published extensively. In addition, she has been the recipient of many funding awards and facilitated over 100 assessments. A 2020 recipient of the Governor General’s Visual and Media Arts Award, Zainub is celebrated for her contributions as an artist, curator, writer, and public intellectual.

Recognizing her extraordinary contribution to arts and culture, she was conferred with honorary doctorates by OCAD University and NSCAD University, as well as Simon Fraser University and University of Victoria. She is Senior Fellow, Massey College, University of Toronto, a Fellow at McLaughlin College, York University and currently serves as Executive Director of Ontario Association of Art Galleries.