Brooklyn based Syrian filmmaker Ward Kamel’s film “If I Die in America” (2024) tells the emotional story of a grieving American man who has recently lost his Muslim husband but is robbed of his time to mourn as the latter’s traditional customs and family dictate his body be sent back to the Middle East. The film screened at international film festivals, including SXSW and Palm Springs International Film Festival, PSIFF. It held its international premiere at the Palm Springs International Film Festival and won the Jury Award at National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY). 

Can you tell how you got into writing and directing?  

WARD: I've always been making my own little films as early as 12 years-old, but it wasn't until I took a film class in high school that I started thinking of it as a craft and potential professions, as opposed to just a hobby. I was lucky enough to get a full ride to attend film school at NYU Tisch and that really kicked off my journey as an actual practicing filmmaker in a formal sense. During school, I focused more on directing, but in terms of screenwriting I feel like I really dove into that after graduating, in 2020. It was the height of the pandemic, so being on set was out of the question, so I really immersed myself in the form of screenwriting and joined a writer’s group that met online weekly, and that ended up shaping a lot of my identity as a screenwriter. 

You are a writer and director, but is your main aim to direct?

WARD: Yes. I've often felt that screenwriting was a means to an end, with the end being directing. I don't say that to detract from the craft of screenwriting; I say that to detract from my own writing skills! I refuse to believe that the best scripts I could direct have to be written by me, and this desire to direct ultimately stems from what I feel is my ultimate passionate, which is working with actors. 

What do you find most challenging about being a director today?

WARD: Besides the obvious answers (financing, the state of the industry, content saturation...etc.) I think something that isn't as often discussed is this feeling that the best work has already been done! While I don't really believe that it's becoming clearer and clearer that filmmaking, be it shorts, features, TV, is a mature art form. We're already in a post-post-era. So, as a director, you're having to balance your creative interests in terms of content and story with this idea that the form is so developed, so how can you add or expand or build upon this existing canon of film tradition. It's been interesting to see cycles of genre coming back to life in the last few years, and how audiences are becoming more receptive to experimental film techniques. I've been thinking about that kind of stuff a lot lately — I'm encouraged by it, and it's exciting to feel that everyone is pushing everyone to be bolder and acknowledge that, listen, if we've seen it before, why are we seeing it again? Not everything has to be net-new, but you need a reason to be reframing or reanimating something if it isn't. 

You've mainly worked on short films. What do you love more about shorts that features can't do?

WARD: The most basic answer to that question is to an extent the truest: it's easier to make shorts. That's in no way a detraction from the form — because it's easier, you are afforded so much more room for experimentation, play, and actual iteration; in that, you can make multiple shorts in the time it takes you to make one feature. Of course, there are also formal elements to the short-form that are true only to that form; I like to think of it like poetry vs. long-form prose. The fact that novels exist doesn't detract from the validity of poetry as its own creative pursuit. The brevity that you must exercise in the short form, the sort of conciseness and efficiency in storytelling, is a craft in and of its own. It's a lean piece of meat that categorically wants to punch above its weight, and even if one's aspirations are set on long-form filmmaking, mastering or at least practicing that level of narrative austereness in the short form is, in my opinion, paramount. 

Why is indie filmmaking so challenging and what advice do you have for young filmmakers out there?

WARD: The adage of "it takes a village" holds true, and while there are certainly favors you can call in as a filmmaker, at the bare minimum, you must feed, house and transport this village around, as well as give them the tools they need to get their job done. With that said, I think the benefit of being an indie filmmaker is that our barrier to entry is so high that it really gets us to stress-test every single decision we make before we actually commit to "spending" whatever it is that we're going to need to spend to get it done; be it money, or calling in that favor, or sending that offer-only email that you know you can't update with a newer draft. It allows us to be meticulous and judicious with our decision-making process, especially because usually, there aren't really any players you're having to answer to (studio, client...etc.). It's just you, your team, and the decisions you make together, so my advice essentially boils down to taking as much time as you can get before committing to any decision, and then once you do commit, to just double down, don't look back and avoid being penny-wise and dollar stupid. 

Do you think it's essential to have agency representation in the business?

WARD: Not at all. I think at some point in your journey as a filmmaker, you'll certainly want people in your corner advocating for you, but I think you can really go quite far just advocating for yourself. To me it's less about it being something you need, and more just about whether you think you're at a point in your life where there are opportunities open to you that you can't juggle by yourself. 

Your recent film has traveled to international film festivals. How was that experience?

WARD: Really wonderful. It's so great to have your work resonate with people from all sorts of different backgrounds, but then there's also so special about your work taking you to all these different places. 

Where can people see your films?

WARD: My latest short, “If I Die in America”, is on both Vimeo as a Staff Pick and on Youtube as a Short of the Week selection. 

Why is it so important for filmmakers to attend film festivals? 

WARD: Besides the fact that it's so fun and rewarding, it's also a forum for you to answer the question: "what's next?". It's a rarity for us indie filmmakers to have a pair of eyes and ears that are receptive to what we have to say or pitch, and festivals are just the place to do that. Also, you'll get to meet other filmmakers that are at a similar stage to you, which is so helpful for community building and resource-sharing. But yeah, it's just also so fun! 

What will you be working on next? 

WARD: I'll be working on the feature-length adaptation of “If I Die in America”, and we're hoping to shoot sometime in early 2026. I'm also developing a couple of other feature scripts. 

About Ward Kamel: 

Ward Kamel is a Syrian filmmaker based in Brooklyn. He is an Academy Nicholl Fellow, a Sundance Feature Film Fellow and a Vimeo Breakout Creator. His films have screened at SXSW, Palm Springs Film Festival, Hollyshorts, Newfest and NFFTY, where he won a Best Director award. As a producer, his latest film was a semifinalist for the Student Academy Awards®. He is a graduate of NYU Tisch, and was the commencement speaker for his class.

Film stills from "If I Die In America" (2024)

Interview by Vanessa McMahon