Meet Nyla Hazratjee of Beverly Hills

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nyla Hazratjee.

Hi Nyla, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
NY/LA Production is dedicated to changing the narrative of the Muslim, MENA and SAMA community in film and television through independent media.
Filmmaking provides education through narrative, changing perspectives of Muslims in America with cultural equity and aesthetic innovation, artistic quality and community impact. Through film, we can empower women to use their voice, and allies to advocate for unseen and often overlooked minority cultures in America.

Dr. Nyla Hazratjee is an American-Muslim filmmaker. As a first generation Pakistani American, her work focuses on the minority subculture experience in America. She is an award winning filmmaker (The Persian Version won both the audience award and best script at Sundance 2023 on Netflix now-among others), a double board certified specialist physician, a philanthropist, and an involved mother of two sons. She recently directed a feminist film with a female BIPOC crew which will have major impact.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Muslim and MENA women face a multifold problem when it comes to sharing their stories. They are stereotyped by the Film industry, the Public and their culture promotes the silencing of Women. Public media and public at large is considered a source of danger due to previous experiences of islamophobia backlash. Removing fear from filmmaking, and promoting characters like them on camera, empowers the present and future generation of story-tellers from these cultures to tell those stories.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
https://www.ny-la-production.org

https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm14335285?s=e8c99d08-8f55-d7f2-f7fc-c7de9f960bcd&site_preference=normal

We provide multiple services in with our mission goal in mind:

Project Development
Marketing and Promotion
Speaking Engagements
Fiscal Sponsorship

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Numbers don’t lie: the lack of muslim American representation in film matters, and the value of arts and humanities in making long term change is real. Small steps may be all we can do in our current sociopolitical climate where DEI is being targeted and defunded, but those small steps continue to provide a pathway to greater change in the long-term. Change like you and I. Although challenging there IS room to improve representation, opportunities for growth and create space for the Muslim American Woman to own herself.

Our organization is working towards improved representation on the screen through community outreach and social impact narrative filmmaking.

For example, American Fabric, a short film about women’s issues created by women, is about two young Muslim-American women who fight prejudice while reclaiming their agency in their own ways: one wants to remove her headscarf, the other longs to be a hijabi. We want to amplify the human right to make one’s own choice that belongs to everyone. Whether you’re Muslim or not, a story of rising above judgment is relatable. With a majority female BIPOC cast and crew, Diversity isn’t noise; it’s harmony.

On being a multi-hyphenate and evolving careers at a later age : juggling cultures, film and religion, being a doctor, mom, and filmmaker is challenging and rewarding at the same time. It’s not for everyone, and each individual has to choose how much they can and want to do. For me, all of these aspects of my life bring me joy, and I believe that I CAN have my cake and eat it too.

Check out our website, to access ideas and ways to propel, get involved, and make change in YOUR WORLD within YOUR capacities. We believe in empowering each other and finding collaboration for mutually beneficial change.

These are real issues that all female owned and operated businesses can universally relate to and through solution based discussion, we will empower and ease into successes both small and large.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ny-la-production.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nylaproductionorg/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/professional_dashboard/overview/?ref=profile_plus_left_nav
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nyla-hazratjee-7408b1356?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
• Twitter: https://x.com/ny_laproduction?s=11
• Youtube: https://l.instagram.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40nylahazratjee7%3F_t%3DZP-8uSmQLKY48F%26_r%3D1%26fbclid%3DPAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaecAasrrl93eTpI5dPwHM-1ZJU55oJnkNiLITkeoHaeusXtORpJcKJPax_9EQ_aem_hBlN91rocSqwPQ-Ozyz5lA&e=AT38BvliNj5U0y_ps9MN9WjhzgbJp7M8XnWBao07QF4YqtLSxTdN_OBthXTvnYxVore__i-mrC7MDMpW7XA8L3ML4ZK_21KB_bOcWA
• Other: https://l.instagram.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fgofund.me%2Fdc71faaa%3Ffbclid%3DPAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAafv9O7Apiet5fuANsLmTTPpVJwr_lY2e8oG_cEQl_aWDs-ULne77PeghuAttA_aem_P3F9rnv9iNkjgXN2F1DBEg&e=AT12j7zI6M47G130fXVzaHyZS7N1Ky1GYGdpiTvx1W-4m-vO8s0tICWvIwzpwtDmp_8sA5Q3vKPsK6Q5j83GRcomqq3x_yRioIgGBg