From breaking bread throughout coasts to advocating for an inclusive Hollywood by trustworthy op-eds, the tutorial work that MPAC® Hollywood Bureau conducts has at all times stored neighborhood on the forefront. This system is led by Director Sue Obeidi, the center of MPAC’s Hollywood Bureau.

That group ensures Islam is precisely portrayed in media, and that creatives from these communities and past are related, creating essentially the most nuanced, absolute best movie and tv works.

This was a strong dialog about Hollywood and the state of the world.

Let’s dive in.

Credit score: MPAC Hollywood Bureau

NFS: Hello Sue! Can you start by describing the MPAC Hollywood Bureau’s mission and position throughout the leisure business?

SO: In fact, however first, I wish to thanks for this chance. The MPAC® Hollywood Bureau is a division throughout the Muslim Public Affairs Council Basis (MPAC®). MPAC is a public coverage group doing work on the intersection of coverage (by our outreach in Washington) and cultural/societal change (by leisure media). We aren’t a lobbying group, however we focus our efforts on outreach, schooling, and analysis. We consider that what occurs in leisure in the end impacts laws in Washington, DC.

Right here is the elevator speech concerning the MPAC Hollywood Bureau:

The MPAC® Hollywood Bureau modifications the narrative of Islam and Muslims within the leisure business in order that audiences see Muslims as very important contributors to creating social and cultural change in America and world wide. We do that by partaking determination makers and creatives to enhance the standard of genuine, nuanced, and inclusive depictions of Islam and Muslims. We additionally create alternatives for Muslim storytellers to inform their very own tales.

Our principal position throughout the leisure business is to advertise cultural change by consulting on TV/movie tasks, develop and create/keep a expertise pipeline by our screenwriting labs and fellowships, and thought management by organizing and talking on business panels.

Credit score: MPAC Hollywood Bureau

NFS: I perceive the group has had a gentle presence at a number of notable festivals this 12 months, together with Tribeca, SXSW, and ATX TV Fest. Are you able to inform us extra about your programming throughout these completely different business occasions?

SO: These and different festivals just like the Sundance Movie Pageant give the MPAC Hollywood Bureau a robust platform to interact with business creatives and executives throughout the business and from each Muslim and ally communities. It permits us to current our thought management by our panel discussions, the place we focus on essential points like illustration, movie financing and distribution, and the way the leisure business can influence coverage and laws. These occasions permit us to middle Muslim voices in an area that doesn’t proactively embody us. It permits different rising communities, together with different creatives and determination makers, to interact with Muslim expertise. These occasions are an excellent networking alternative for everybody. It helps in having us be seen as international contributors and the fantastic individuals we’re.

NFS: Do you have got a favourite reminiscence or anecdote from MPAC’s programming all through the primary half of 2025?

SO: On June twenty fourth, Zohran Mamdani gained the Democratic nomination for Mayor of New York. That is historic for American-Muslim communities, and actually America at giant. Nevertheless, the extent of vitriol in the direction of him is unreal. I’m not certain why I’m stunned, as a result of individuals concern what they don’t know. Now that we’re midway by 2025, I’m reflecting on all of the programming the MPAC Hollywood Bureau has executed to raise conversations round Muslim narratives and storytelling, which in fact, contains the fixed and mild schooling that’s wanted of others about Muslims and Islam, to not preach however undo numerous mis- and disinformation.

The anecdote is a reminder of simply how very important this work is, not simply to the business however to the nation. This isn’t misplaced on me.

NFS: Inform us extra concerning the MPAC Hollywood Bureau’s inventive consultancy work. How do you strategy your collaboration with writers in making certain applicable and nuanced Muslim illustration of their storytelling?

SO: Our strategy may be very easy. We wish to be additive and wish of us to love working with us, not as a result of we wish or should be “likeable” however as a result of we perceive that there’s a lot of flawed details about us and wish to create an setting the place outreach and schooling are comfy, enjoyable, however most significantly, enlightening. We determined way back that the MPAC Hollywood Bureau is just not going to be a watchdog of the business. There are many advantages to being a watchdog group, however we felt that, as a result of that is the lengthy recreation, we might be higher off being “companions” to the leisure business for the explanations above. Our consulting includes focusing not simply on optimistic portrayals, however genuine and nuanced ones. We additionally give attention to separating “Muslim tradition” from the faith of Islam. There are such a lot of cultural practices that come out of the Muslim-majority international locations that even Muslims get them confused. We work arduous to separate the 2. Moreover, we work with writers’ rooms to raised develop characters and narratives that embody Muslims and Islam. Oftentimes, we’re simply obtainable to reply questions so the writers’ room can do its factor. Our most up-to-date enjoyable mission was consulting on Deli Boys, which is on Hulu. We hope that it will get renewed for a second season and will get nominated for tons of Emmy Awards in July.

Credit score: MPAC Hollywood Bureau

NFS: At such a politically fraught interval in U.S. and international historical past, your advocacy work should tackle explicit significance. How does a corporation like MPAC navigate the present political local weather whereas nonetheless staying true to its mission?

SO: These are fairly loopy instances for certain. I grew up as an immigrant from the Center East. I’ve lived by the racism after the Arab oil embargo within the mid-70s, the Iranian hostage disaster within the late-70s, and 9/11 in 2001. Generally I’m stunned at how used to the ache I’m, which is a bit scary. Getting used to ache is just not essentially an excellent factor. At the moment, in moments of worldwide battle just like the battle in Gaza, Islamophobic political rhetoric throughout the nation and from our nation’s management, anti-semistism, the disaster with our immigrants – each documented and undocumented – the worldwide refugee crises, it’s sort of arduous to remain optimistic, however we have now no different alternative. The opposite alternative we don’t have is to deviate from our true selves. We keep on level by persevering with to succeed in out to decision-makers throughout the leisure business to supply roundtable discussions to studios on how these points influence storylines and narratives, and honestly, how individuals really feel about Muslims and Islam. We additionally care very deeply concerning the morale of American-Muslim creatives whose voices and skills are essential in telling tales that talk to the second. The leisure business is essentially the most highly effective business there’s as a result of it impacts individuals’s considering and beliefs.

NFS: Islam can clearly embody all types of racial and ethnic range. How does MPAC advocate for such range in Hollywood past its emphasis on Muslim illustration?

SO: Nice query. There are nearly 2 billion Muslims across the globe, and we’re positively not a monolith. If the faith of Islam is being represented in a screenplay or collection, then the principle focus is to ensure it’s being represented precisely, particularly when the Quran (Islam’s scripture) is quoted. Almost about the racial and ethnic range, when we have now roundtables with writers’ rooms, then we focus on the make-up of the worldwide Muslim neighborhood.

If a specific Muslim neighborhood is a part of the story/narrative, then we are going to be certain there’s accuracy and authenticity there. If we’re not material consultants, then we are going to pull in those that are. The Black Muslim neighborhood is the most important Muslim neighborhood in America, making up round 25%. Hollywood normally focuses on Arab and South Asian Muslims as characters. The Black Muslim neighborhood is the one one we proactively attempt to elevate when consulting. What I imply is – if there’s a character of Center Japanese or South Asian descent, we focus on altering the character to a Black Muslim as a result of this neighborhood is almost all of Muslims in America, and but their narratives are nearly invisible within the leisure business. Generally that works, typically it doesn’t.