SUNDAY__MAY 17__1:30 PM__
Minority women in filmmaking play a crucial role in shaping the industry, yet they often face barriers in accessing funding, representation, and leadership. The discussion explores both their creative impact and the business challenges they face as these filmmakers build careers, secure resources, and assert their voices in an industry that has historically excluded or marginalized them.
Guests
Fatima Hye, Filmmaker
Imaan Hasan, Filmmaker
Samiya Khan, Actress
Solana Mirza, Filmmaker
Moderator:
Jenny Waldo, Producer, Writer, Director, Film Educator, Crowdfunder
Jenny Waldo
Producer, Writer, Director, Film Educator, Crowdfunder
A producer, writer, and director, Jenny Waldo’s feature film directorial debut, Acid Test, adapted from her award-winning short, premiered at the Austin Film Festival and was nominated for the Texas Independent Film Award by the Houston Film Critics Society. Experienced in both documentary and scripted storytelling, past credits include associate-producing the indie feature The Preacher’s Daughter which sold to Lifetime and the Starz feature documentary The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing among various shorts, documentary series, and music videos. Her second feature, Mustang Martha, is in development and was a Nicholl Fellowship Quarterfinalist and participant of several development labs including the Stowe Story Narrative Lab. A graduate of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts with a MFA in Film Production, Jenny educates and advocates for upcoming filmmakers through her consulting, volunteer work, and as a faculty member of Houston Community College’s Filmmaking Program. Specializing in based-on-true stories with personal and intimate films, her latest short, Twofer, premiering at the Houston Latino Film Festival, expands her directing work into the thriller genre! While not thinking about, teaching, or making films, she is the proud parent of four young adults in her Brady-Bunch-style family.
Fatima Hye
Filmmaker
Fatima Hye is a Bangladeshi-American Muslim woman who grew up in Houston, Texas. She earned certifications in Quranic Recitation and Classical Arabic while in Jordan. She got her BA and MA from the University of Houston, majoring in Philosophy, minoring in Psychology and Media Production. She teaches Philosophy, Humanities, and Film at San Jacinto, Houston, and Alvin Community colleges. She has completed several shorts and took her featurette “Animalium” to the Victoria, TX Independent Film Festival (currently available on Tubi). She has been a panelist/presenter at UH, HAAPI (Houston Asian-American Pacific Islander) Fest, and the Lost River Film Festival in San Marcos.
Samiya Khan
Actress
Samiya Khan is a Pakistani-American Actress/Singer/Model, based in Los Angeles, California. Over the years, Samiya has always been involved with the entertainment industry in Los Angeles, one way or another. Whether it was being a professional fashion model in Los Angeles, a show stopper for various famous International designers, or opening the concert for the Bollywood singer Alka Yagnik, sharing stage with famous international singers. Samiya started her acting career in Los Angeles, with theatre. Samiya has studied acting/Improv at The Groundlings Theatre and School.
Imaan Hasan
Filmmaker
Imaan Hasan is a Pakistani-American artist and filmmaker. She holds a BA in Film/Digital Media from Loyola University Chicago, with minors in Studio Art and Anthropology. She is passionate about telling the stories of those who go unnoticed by the broader American culture; much of Imaan’s work revolves around the experiences of people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, Muslims in America, and those battling unseen mental health struggles. Imaan has a strong background in creative project planning and has worked on multiple short films in a wide variety of roles, including director, producer, 1st AD, editor, and hair/makeup artist.
Solana Mirza
Filmmaker
Solana Mirza is a director and writer. She has spent the last decade working on films and series in various departments including art, set decoration, editorial, and production. Her debut short, DEAR BIRD, was completed in 2025.
