Episode 41 - Opening Credits Panel
We conclude Season 3 of The Halal Gap with a very special episode: the recording of the panel discussion from Opening Credits, the kick-off to our festival weekend, on March 11, 2022. With over 250 artists and representatives from organizations and platforms in attendance, this event marked the largest gathering of Muslim creatives anywhere in the world. Opening Credits was made possible by our partners at Inspirit Foundation.
The panel, hosted by Sikandar Atiq, features award-winning writer and director Sahar Jahani; Canadian Screen Award winning actor, Hamza Haq; writer, filmmaker, and creator of Little Mosque on the Prairie, Zarqa Nawaz; and the 16th Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson of the National Film Board of Canada, Claude Joli-Coeur. Our panelists discuss the issue of representation in film and TV, the realities facing Muslim artists today, and offer advice to those wanting to break into the industry.