A short film co-created by Maryam Shaharuddin and Company Three.
At a sleepover in Ramadan, a group of Muslim girls are trying to stay up till Fajr prayer – until a jinn turns up. Is it real or are they just sleep deprived?
Jinns and Jilbabs is a comedy short film set during a teenage sleepover in Ramadan. A group of Muslim girls stay awake until Fajr prayer. What starts as playful fun soon takes on an eerie edge as they begin to wonder… are they alone?
The film captures the energy, humour, and suspense of this night, blending the spirit of Ramadan with the joy of girlhood.
Co-created and performed by Inaaya, Maryam, Sara, Shayma, Sumeyah and Waad.
Directed by Maryam Shaharuddin.
Producer - Angie Peña-Arenas
Third AD - Subika Anwar
Director of Photography - Aya Zabadne
Editor - Ramzey Sabbagh
Sound Designer, Sound Recordist and Boom Operator - Misbah Uddin
Gaffer - Lawaiza Hussain
Colourist - Harris H
Runner - Mohsin Alasadi
Rehearsal Facilitator - Inaayat Chowdry
Cast, brother: Mohsin Alasadi
Gallery
Directors Statement
The film has been co-created with the six teenage actors over a year (from 2024 - 2025), using Company Three’s co-creation methodology. A discussion during an R&D session in Ramadan 2023 sparked the beginning of the story. The actresses (part of Company Three’s affinity group, The Muzzies) have shaped their characters, dialogue, and artistic vision, ensuring an authentic representation of their experiences. The crew are also all Muslim, ensuring that the representation isn’t just on screen, but behind the scenes as well. Inspired by sitcoms like Parks and Recreation, Modern Family, and Brooklyn 99, the film adopts a playful and self-aware visual language, grounded in a playful mockumentary style and contemporary teenage storytelling.
The film’s structure mirrors the way young people document their own lives, combining direct-to-camera monologues with a real-time ensemble climax. Each girl recounts the night’s events from her own perspective in retrospective vlogs, intercut with cutaways that bring their stories to life. The film culminates in a final, real-time scene, shifting away from retrospective footage to immerse the audience fully in the moment. This structure allows for dynamic storytelling, creating tension while celebrating the distinctive voices of the young women at its heart.
At its core, Jinns and Jilbabs is about representation and subversion. It speaks directly to young Muslim women who rarely see their everyday lives reflected on screen, while also offering non-Muslim audiences a fresh, joyful, and complex depiction of Muslim teenagehood. In a media landscape where Muslim narratives are often framed through trauma, this film shifts the perspective, allowing its protagonists to define themselves through humour, friendship, and self-expression.