Americanish held its New York premiere at SVA Theatre as part of the New York Asian Film Festival on Friday, August 13th. This is the feature directorial debut for Iman K. Zawahry. It was co-written by Iman along with Aizzah Fatima, who also co-stars in the film.
Americanish is a romantic comedy about three marriage-aged women and their quest for careers and love.
Two of the women are sisters Sam and Maryam Khan played by Aizzah and Salena Qureshi respectively. Both come from Pakistani roots, but have to navigate their way through American life.
Sam is working at a marketing firm in midtown and trying to move up the corporate ladder, while Maryam is in college trying to get into med school. Their cousin Ameera flies in from Pakistan in search of a husband, because the best place to look for a husband is... Queens.
This rom-com goes beyond presenting the standard dating life mishaps. These women also have to juggle careers, religion, patriarchal norms, and most importantly, the expectations of their mother.
Most comedies are good for the first act and fizzle. This film has a great story, charming characters, and good music lending to a good flow overall. Like My Big Fat Greek Wedding brought us into the Greek American view, Americanish gives us a glimpse into Desi life.
Below are photos from the New York premiere and also a video of the Q&A with cast, crew, and producers.
Writer/Director Iman K. Zawahry
Writer/Actress Aizzah Fatima
Actress Salena Qureshi
Producer Paul Seetachitt
Producer Roy Wol
Roy Wol, Aizzah Fatima, Salena Qureshi, Paul Seetachitt, Iman K. Zawahry, Samuel Jamier (NYAFF), Jenny Lin (NYAFF), Ann Chaudhary
Visual Effects Artist Kirk Blackwood
Actress Betina Bilger
Actress Ajna Jai and Actor Ratnesh Dubey
Actress Marian Licha
Editor Jesi Rojas
Actress Purva Bedi and daughter Sanaya Stoler
Moderator Karen Severns, Iman K. Zawahry, Aizzah Fatima, Salena Qureshi, Roy Wol, Paul Seetachitt, Ann Chaudhary