Riz Ahmed and Pillars Fund backed fellowship opens call for applications

Applications for the 2024 Pillars Artist Fellowship are now open to Muslim directors and screenwriters in the U.S. and U.K. through May 31.

Building on a successful inaugural year in 2022, the 2024 Pillars Artist Fellowship supports Muslim creators whose presence behind the screen will be game-changing for the entertainment industry. Selected fellows will each receive an unrestricted award of $25,000, high-quality one-on-one mentorship, professional development in their field and access to a trailblazing advisory committee of award-winning actors, directors, producers, and writers. Committee members include Riz Ahmed, Bisha K. Ali, Mahershala Ali, Sana Amanat, Karim Amer, Rosa Attab, Yann Demange, Mohamed Diab, Sarah Goher, Lena Khan, Nida Manzoor, Hasan Minhaj, Nijla Mu’min, Amina Munir, Jehane Noujaim, Bassam Tariq and Ramy Youssef.

“Muslim artists are the past, present, and future of entertainment,” says Kashif Shaikh, Pillars Fund Co-founder and President. “We are proud to invest in storytellers that are telling joyful, honest stories about our communities.”

“The 2022 Pillars Artist Fellowship was an exciting achievement: Our fellows joined prestigious writer’s rooms, sold their work to major companies, and premiered their stories at competitive festivals,” says Arij Mikati, Pillars Fund Managing Director of Culture Change. “We hope to build on this experience to support even more Muslim talent.”

To qualify for the fellowship, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Applicants must be directors or screenwriters who identify as Muslim.

• Applicants must live in the U.S. or U.K. Citizenship is not required.

• Applicants must be adults 18 years old or older.

• Applicants must be emerging artists. The Pillars Artist Fellowship defines an emerging artist as a storyteller with some experience who meets 1-3 of the following criteria:

  • Has an agent or manager

  • Has directed a short or feature in the past 5 years

  • Has won a screenwriting award in the past 5 years

  • Has participated in another lab/fellowship in the past 5 years

  • Is a member of a professional guild or organisation (i.e., DGA, WGA, Directors UK)

  • Has staffed on a television show or received a writing credit on a film

  • Has worked as an assistant in the entertainment industry for 2+ years

  • Has worked in another field in the entertainment industry for 2+ years

Applications are due May 31, 2023, at 5 p.m. Central Daylight Time / 11 p.m. British Summer Time.

More details about the fellowship can be found on the Pillars website.