Karina Dandashi
DRESS UP
Pre-production grant
Funds will be used towards location use.
About the project: DRESS UP is a dark dramedy about a queer Arab-American woman, Amira, who brings her “roommate” home for her sister Layla’s wedding. Amira’s parents are thrilled that their daughter has found the perfect husband— but what happens when the real bridezilla isn’t even the bride? The film explores the themes of identity, culture, and sexuality through nuances of humor. There may be an intergenerational disconnect between Amira and her parents, but Layla offers the open mind of a younger generation.
About the filmmaker: Karina Dandashi is a Syrian-American Muslim writer/director living in Brooklyn, NY. She has worked for independent film companies such as A24 and Stay Gold Features. Her work focuses on women-driven stories that explore identity through the intersection of family, religion, and culture in culture in Arab and Muslim American communities. Her debut short film SHORT SHORTS, a coming of age about an American Muslim teenage girl, screened at numerous festivals taking home the Audience Award at the Central Florida Film Slam. It will premiere online on the popular platform The Future of Film Is Female - Streaming for one month in July 2020. Karina is the Silver Sun Diverse Voices Filmmaker Fellow at the Jacob Burns Film Center, where she will be making two shorts over the course of 2020-2021.