Hisonni Mustafa is a father, disabled U.S. Marine veteran, and award-winning director, writer, and editor based in Las Vegas. With over a decade of experience in cinematography and post-production, he creates grounded, visually driven stories rooted in identity, inequality, and perseverance.
In 2025, Hisonni was awarded the prestigious Emmy Foundation Scholarship and named a CDDP Directing Fellow, WGF Veterans Writing Project Fellow, and Tyler Perry Dreamers Program Top 100 finalist. He was also inducted into the Rideback Rise Circle. That same year, his PSA Bang Bang, produced through CDDP and depicting a school shooting from the POV of a panic-stricken officer, won the 2025 Professional Emmy for Best PSA. He also broke the Student Emmy nomination record in the Pacific Southwest region with 10 nominations across two films, earning three wins, including Best Director.
A first-generation college student, Hisonni was named Student of the Year at the College of Southern Nevada and selected as the 2025 Commencement Speaker at his institution before transferring to UNLV, where he now continues his studies as a Cynthia Bunker Memorial Scholar.
His debut feature, Take Out Girl, premiered at Cinequest, won 21 festivals, and is now streaming on Hulu. He has directed over a dozen short films, branded spots, and narrative projects that have screened at major festivals including HollyShorts, ABFF, Martha’s Vineyard, Bentonville, Micheaux, and Cordillera.
Hisonni is known for leading high-impact, emotionally resonant productions from script to screen—often with limited resources but relentless vision. 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.