UNLV Film student Hisonni Mustafa is an Emmy Award-winning director, writer, and editor. His debut feature Take Out Girl, produced by UNLV Film alumna Melissa Del Rosario, premiered at Cinequest and is now streaming on Hulu.
A first-generation college student, Mustafa 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. He has since transferred to UNLV, where he continues his studies as a Cynthia Bunker/Joy McClenahan Memorial Scholar, further cementing his reputation as both a scholar and artist of exceptional promise.
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 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. To cap it all off, in August of 2025, just before his first classes at UNLV, Mustafa flew to Atlanta, Georgia, to train at Tyler Perry Studios.
The Tyler Perry Studios Dreamers Program helps participants gain work experience as well as meet professionals who are available as excellent contacts and mentors. It is a 6-week, paid internship for individuals who are passionate about pursuing a career in the entertainment industry. Selected applicants will learn from industry experts, while being exposed to nearly every aspect of running a major production studio.
We asked Mustafa about his experience applying to and flying out to be a part of this highly selective program.
How did you hear about the Tyler Perry Studios' 'Dreamers Program,' and were you optimistic about your chances?
I spend a considerable amount of time researching filmmaking programs that I feel I’m a strong fit for, as well as festivals that would be the right home for my films. That’s how I came across the Tyler Perry Studios Dreamers Program. I remember submissions opened at noon, and within 27 minutes, I had submitted my entire application.
When I got my confirmation email, I was number 312, which meant 311 people had already applied before me. That absolutely blew my mind. Seeing how competitive it was right from the start, I honestly didn’t know if I had a chance, but I believed in my story and wanted to give it everything I had.
How was the experience overall? Did you get to work with professionals in the industry as a part of the program?
The experience was incredible. It started virtually for the top 100, and it was serious from the very beginning. Each week, we had directors like Patty Jenkins and Bradley Cooper speaking with us, and we even met with the head of the Directors Guild of America. Right away, it felt like the program was leveling me up.
Once I made the top ten, things got even more intense. I flew to Atlanta, and within an hour of arriving at the studio, I was already on set working with Mary Lou Belli, an Emmy-winning television director and co-author of Directors Tell the Story. She’s someone I’ve admired for years, and she immediately zeroed in on ways I could strengthen my directing approach. From there, we worked with actors from shows like Cobra Kai and films like James Gunn’s Superman on the very first day.
For 12 straight days, we trained 12 to 14 hours a day, refining everything from prep to shooting and then to finishing a film—all while emphasizing the importance of carrying yourself with kindness and representing your school, family, and crew with respect.
What was the most memorable experience from the program?
The most memorable part of the program was working with Dr. Rachel Raimist, who served as our mentor for the entire run. She’s a groundbreaking television director (Queen Sugar, Nancy Drew, Greenleaf) and the first Latina graduate of the AFI Directing Workshop for Women. Honestly, she might be the best teacher I’ve ever had, and that’s saying a lot.
What made her so remarkable was that she refused to give us a cookie-cutter experience. She really saw me, my quirks, my weaknesses, and instead of glossing over them, she patiently helped me work through those challenges. She reshaped my workflow to the point where I now feel 100% ready to direct primetime TV and major motion pictures. When I first arrived at Tyler Perry Studios, that path still felt a little spotty and mysterious. By the end, thanks to her, it felt clear.
She gave us everything she had. I could see she was exhausted by the final days of training, but she never stopped smiling and never stopped pushing me to be better. I’ll always love her for that.
Is there anything you plan on bringing to your work at UNLV from your time in this summer program?
What I plan to bring to UNLV is the perspective that opportunities on the highest level are within our reach, even from right here in Las Vegas. I hope that my work here and beyond reminds my professors that we’re always listening, taking in not just what they teach us, but also how they make us feel. That energy is what we use to try to build our own legacies in film, and we’re lucky to have professors who make us feel like we can do anything.
As I move toward shooting my next short with The Tyler Perry Dreamers Collective, my approach will definitely be an accumulation of everything I’ve learned at CSN, Tyler Perry Studios, and now UNLV. If that project succeeds, then in a way we all succeed.
I’d also love to be someone my classmates feel comfortable coming to with questions. One day, I’d like to become a film professor, so this is the perfect opportunity to start mentoring my peers now.
I’m truly honored to be joining UNLV at such a pivotal moment in my journey. I look forward to bringing the momentum, insight, and growth from the Tyler Perry program into the classroom and collaborating with the talented students and faculty at UNLV.
