Queer Khalifa
"Queer Khalifa" portrays the story of a hjiabi, Inayat, and her now trans ex, Abdullah, before a forced wedding.
Abdullah feels pressured to confront his fears when he finds out his teenage girlfriend, Inayat, is getting married. Having not seen her for several years after a traumatic separate them, Abdullah hesitates to address the consequence of meeting Inayat as he assumed she could have only become more distant from her past and what, at the time, appeared to be a same-gender relationship.
Unaware that the hijab Inayat now wears is to cover the scar from the traumatic event, Abdullah inflicts his own insecurities onto Inayat's religious appearance. Inayat, who feels abandoned by Abdullah, plays with Abdullah's insecurities and reflects the queerphobia that he's expecting from her. His specific transition experience though, is truly something she has trouble acknowledging.
They run the risk of showing such unloving behaviors to someone they know loves them. But it's time to prove their love is worth fighting for, otherwise Inayat will be off marrying someone who'll never put her before himself.
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Danial GondalDirector
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Danial GondalWriter
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Ayesha SalehKey Cast"Inayat"
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Sanam ErfaniKey Cast"Jannat"
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Asif Shem AlliKey Cast"Musa"
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Danial GondalKey Cast"Abdullah"
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Faria AliKey Cast"Azaan Imam"
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Zoha GondalKey Cast"Abdullah's Mom"
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Nasir GondalKey Cast"Abdullah's Baba"
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Saleem GondalKey Cast"Nikkah Imam"
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Yasmeen El-NagarAssistant Director
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Imran VasanwalaCinematography
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Jaime Oswaldo Rivera SantanaSound Department
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Gurjeet KaurHair & Makeup
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Simbal KarmaGaffer
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Saleem Nasir GondalProduction Assistant
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Carla ThomasWardrobe Consultant
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Fatima QureshiMusic Department
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Shiraz QureshiMusic Department
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Haris RafiqueMusic Department
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Danial GondalMusic Department
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Project Type:Short
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Runtime:9 minutes 34 seconds
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Completion Date:September 3, 2024
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Production Budget:22,567 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Blackmagic Pocket Camera 6K
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Aspect Ratio:!6:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
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New York Short Film FestivalNew York
United States
November 10, 2023 -
Cinemaking International Film FestivalDhaka
Bangladesh -
Geelong Pride Film FestivalGeelong
Australia
April 18, 2024 -
Color's of Love International Queer Film Festival
India
June 22, 2024 -
South Asian Short Film FestivalKolkata
India -
Everest International Film FestivalSiliguri
India -
Aasha International Film FestivalNashik
India
February 7, 2024
Distribution Information
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Open TVDistributorCountry: United StatesRights: Internet
Danial Gondal (he/him) is a first generation Pakistani trans man whose key focus is to tell stories of his heritage through as many cinematic angles as possible. His efforts in screenwriting, directing, editing, and distribution demonstrate a deep interest in furthering not just his own voice, but others' with adjacent experiences.
His screenplay, “Queer Kafir,” was a second rounder in Austin Film Festival and a semifinalist in The Script Lab and Atlanta Film Festival screenplay competitions. His photography has been exhibited in New Women Space and Leslie Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art.
Danial's most recent directing projects include an experimental documentary short film on an Indian American drag queen, "Lal Batti," and a narrative love story on between a trans man and a hjiabi in "Queer Khalifa." Having been screened in New York, Bangladesh, India, and Australia, "Queer Khalifa" won awards for its screenwriting and production design in festivals around the world.
As an editor, he has worked with Desi Rainbow Parents to produce promotional videos and help secure a grant of $50,000 for the organization. His current entrepreneurial endeavor is a Pakistani streaming service, Joja Entertainment, to platform new Pakistani voices, which placed as a quarterfinalist in the New Venture Showcase Competition at the University of Southern California.
He holds a BFA in Film & Television from New York University Tisch School of the Arts, an MA in Interdisciplinary Studies from New York University Graduate School of Arts and Science and an MSc in Design, Business & Technology from the University of Southern California Iovine and Young Academy.
I made "Queer Khalifa" because I wanted to explore a reality where people like me can hope that with a little bit of effort, their love stories can cross the boundaries of cultural pressures. While the film does not reflect my own story, it is specific to my experiences. As such, the representation a queer Muslim life, especially a trans one, does not define the demographics as a whole.
"Queer Khalifa" is meant to inspire compassion for those with backgrounds different from our owns and resilience in our individual journeys.