Zafar

Aqsa Altaf was raised in Kuwait by Pakistani and Sri Lankan Muslim parents who worked as migrant laborers. She immigrated to the U.S. in 2013. She wrote and directed American Eid for Disney’s Launchpad series, which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award and is currently streaming on Disney+. Aqsa is a Sundance Building Bridges Fellow and a recipient of the Pillars Artist Fellowship.

John X. Carey grew up in a small Ozark town, the son of writers who left the city to live off the land. Growing up in rural poverty, he was drawn to stories about disillusionment, resilience, and human connection. John directed the short film Dove Real Beauty Sketches, which became the most-viewed commercial of all time within its first month, earning over 150 million views.

Together, Aqsa and John are a filmmaking duo whose short film Heat was developed by Amazon Studios as a TV series. Their film Awayy premiered at SXSW and is currently being adapted into a feature. Their feature project Mirage was selected for the Gotham Film Market and supported by Sundance.