Hisonni Mustafa is an Emmy Award–winning director, writer, and editor, and a winner of the highly selective Tyler Perry Dreamers Program. In 2025, he solidified his reputation as one of the most promising new voices in American cinema by earning some of the industry’s most competitive honors. He was awarded the prestigious Emmy Foundation Scholarship, named a CDDP Directing Fellow, chosen as a Writers Guild Foundation Veterans Writing Project Fellow, and inducted into the Rideback Rise Circle, a community of trailblazing storytellers. His PSA Bang Bang, produced through CDDP, won the 2025 Professional Emmy for Best PSA, while his student films broke the Pacific Southwest Student Emmy record with 10 nominations across two projects, earning three wins, including Best Director.
His debut feature, Take Out Girl, premiered at Cinequest, won 21 festivals, and is now streaming on Hulu. He has directed over a dozen shorts, branded spots, and narrative projects that have screened at major festivals including HollyShorts, ABFF, Martha’s Vineyard, Bentonville, Micheaux, and Cordillera.
A first-generation college student, Hisonni graduated with high honors from the College of Southern Nevada, where he was named Student of the Year and selected as the 2025 Commencement Speaker — one of the institution’s highest distinctions. He has since transferred to UNLV, where he continues his studies as a Cynthia Bunker Memorial Scholar, further cementing his reputation as both a scholar and artist of exceptional promise.
Beyond his accolades, Hisonni is a father and disabled U.S. Marine veteran who brings over a decade of experience in cinematography and post-production. He is known for creating visually grounded, emotionally resonant stories rooted in identity, inequality, and perseverance. While raising his son and pursuing his degree, he remains committed to telling stories that elevate underrepresented voices, provoke empathy, and reflect the lived experiences of those often unseen.