The Muslim House®
March 13, 2026
The Muslim House® is a cultural hub — founded and presented by the MPAC® Hollywood Bureau — where American Muslim storytellers and allies come together at major film festivals to learn, collaborate, and create.
With support from the Doris Duke Foundation, The Muslim House® continues to expand at Sundance Film Festival, SXSW, and Tribeca— building cultural power, visibility, and momentum that can’t be ignored.
The Line Hotel: 111 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78701
Panel 1
2:30 PM CT
Culture Catalyst: How Humor and Art Provoke Public Impact
Sam Gill
President, Doris Duke Foundation
Samsher (Sam) Singh Gill is the third president and CEO of the Doris Duke Foundation (DDF). Prior to joining DDF in April 2021, Gill was senior vice president and chief program officer at the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, where he oversaw more than $100 million in annual grantmaking across the foundation’s programs, in addition to managing Knight’s research and assessment portfolio and its grants administration function.
Previously, he also served as vice president of Freedman Consulting, LLC. He attended the University of Chicago and the University of Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar.
To Be Announced
Panel 2
4:00 PM CT
AI & Storytelling: How Technology is Changing Communities
We can all agree that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the way stories are told. From shaping narratives to influencing how communities consume and share information, AI is rapidly rewriting the rules of culture, media, and connection. This panel will discuss the intersection of technology and storytelling, and the risks of leaving the American Muslim and other underrepresented communities behind, and what’s at stake if access to these tools are not available to those who need them the most.
Haris Tarin (Moderator)
VP of Policy and Programming, MPAC®
Prior to joining MPAC as the VP of Policy and Programming, Haris Tarin served as Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary of Homeland Security. He served as the Senior Director at the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Partnership and Engagement (OPE) and Chief of Staff of Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) under the Biden Administration, evacuating thousands during the withdrawal from Afghanistan, the largest resettlement program in America’s history.
Before joining the government, Haris was a leader in policy advocacy, having produced over 30 policy papers focusing on issues including national security, civil rights/civil liberties, religious freedom, immigration, and civic engagement.
Zaki Barzinji
Director of the Building Bridges Program, Doris Duke Foundation
Prior to joining the Doris Duke Foundation, Zaki Barzinji served as Senior Director for Empowered Communities at the Aspen Institute, where he oversaw a range of projects at the intersection of tech, policy, equity and justice for systemically marginalized communities.
In the Obama Administration, he served as Senior Associate Director of Public Engagement and President Obama’s liaison to Muslims, Arabs, Sikhs and other minority faiths, working to ensure that perspectives rarely represented in national decision making were included at the highest levels.
Noha Moustafa
Attorney
Noha Moustafa is currently an attorney at a large tech company working on cybercrime, data privacy, and international data disclosure matters. She began her career at the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom where she worked on government enforcement and white-collar matters.
Noha has had a long-standing interest in human rights policy and refugee resettlement issues and has spent a significant amount of time working on asylum cases for victims of torture and detention through the International Refugee Assistance Project.
Kirstine Stewart
Global Media & Tech Executive
Kirstine Stewart is a global media and technology leader working at the intersection of AI, content, and culture. She has led digital and media transformation across global organizations including Twitter and the World Economic Forum, advising companies and senior leaders on how technology is reshaping storytelling, distribution, and audience engagement.
Today, she works with media, technology, and creative organizations navigating the next era of AI-driven content and innovation, and speaks internationally on leadership, reinvention, and the future of creative work.
Sue Obeidi
Senior Vice President, MPAC® Hollywood Bureau
As Senior Vice President of the Muslim Public Affairs Council and founding leader of the MPAC® Hollywood Bureau, Obeidi has spent more than two decades working at the intersection of entertainment media and public policy. Obeidi helps shape how stories are told, who gets to tell them, and why representation matters to both culture and community. She is recognized for advising top studios, networks, streaming platforms, writers, producers, and showrunners on projects across film, television, and digital media, ensuring narratives are grounded in authenticity. Under her leadership, the MPAC® Hollywood Bureau launched The Muslim House®, a cultural hub at major festivals including Sundance, SXSW, and Tribeca.
