Name: Aisha Jama

Recipient Year: 2019

Description: Aisha Jama is a first generation Somali-American writer/ director hailing from Ann Arbor, MI. After earning a degree in International Studies with a focus on Near Eastern Studies and African-American History from the University of Michigan, she began interning in doc spaces starting at FRONTLINE and PBS NewsHour to then transitioning to fiction once she moved to NYC. There, she has assisted in several commercials, shorts, TV and music videos to expand her film production experience. Soon after, her first micro-short film, Neefso (Breathe), was selected for the 2020 BlackStar Film Festival. Aisha is a freelance director and recently produced a 12 episode short film series titled One Story Up starring and directed by Roger Ross Williams. She was awarded the 2019 Islamic Scholarship Fund Film Grant for her next short film titled Hajjiah.

Sponsor: ISF Film Grant

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aishaajama/