Imani: Narrative Short Film – Co-writer, Director, Producer

Brief
Imani is a narrative short co-written, directed, and produced with cinematographer Nabil Abdulkadir. Set in present-day Washington, DC, it follows a young artist navigating creative ambition, family tension, and displacement in a rapidly gentrifying city. The film was conceived to bring a personal lens to structural change, grounding themes of community, resilience, and belonging in a story rooted in the rhythms of local music and daily life.

Approach
The film’s visual and sonic world was designed to contrast the sterile polish of DC’s redevelopment with the warmth and vitality of its creative communities.

  • Cinematography leaned into handheld movement and close framing to heighten intimacy, paired with static wides to underscore isolation within changing urban spaces.

  • Production design emphasized textures of home and studio life, instruments, posters, and neighborhood details that signaled continuity against encroaching displacement.

  • Sound design blended ambient city noise with live musical performance, allowing DC’s soundscape to function as both setting and character.
    This aesthetic anchored the narrative in place while highlighting the tension between erasure and expression.

Role

  • Co-wrote script and developed story structure, centering family dynamics and community as thematic core

  • Directed across all phases: casting, rehearsals, production, and post

  • Led a week-long shoot with a 10-person crew, managing creative and logistical coordination

  • Oversaw edit, sound mix, and color to ensure narrative and aesthetic cohesion

Impact

  • Premiered at Filmteenth Film Festival, with coverage in District Fray

  • Marked narrative directorial debut and expanded creative practice from documentary and branded work into fiction storytelling

  • Established a platform for continued development, with the project now expanding into a larger narrative arc

  • Resonated with audiences as an authentic portrayal of art-making under pressure in a changing city, strengthening reputation for emotionally grounded, place-based storytelling