Zunaira Khalid (left) discusses a passage in the family Qur'an with her father, Khalid Quraishi (right).

Never Stand Down: The Quraishi Family

Elena Chang 2025 0:16:46 Min English, Urdu English Open Captions United States

Never Stand Down: The Quraishi Family follows Indian Pakistani American Khalid Quraishi and his daughter Zunaira, who is about to marry the love of her life, a woman. Khalid has lived through Partition, persecution, and the near-loss of Zunaira to illness. None of it shook what his Muslim faith taught him matters most: his love for his family.

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Synopsis

For Indian Pakistani American Khalid Quraishi, his daughter Zunaira’s announcement that she was ready to marry the woman of her dreams was a joyous, even miraculous, occasion. Having lived through the Partition, persecution, and the harrowing threat of nearly losing Zunaira to illness, Khalid never once doubted what his Muslim faith had taught him to believe was most important of all: his love for his family.

Screenings

ENCORE: Queer Families Belong

Watch anytime between September 11-21. Who counts as family. Who gets to define it. A pregnancy that rewrites the household. A 29- year-old trans musician and a 79-year-old…

Friday, September 11, 2026

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Online Encore ENCORE: Queer Families Belong

Queer Families Belong

Six films. Who counts as family. Who gets to define it.

Sunday, June 14, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

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In-person

Content Warnings

Fear of family rejection due to homophobia/organized religion Mention of cancer and limb loss

Specific Themes

Asian Coming out Community Relationships Sexual orientation

Links

Instagram

Credits

Director: Elena Chang
Screenwriter: Gene Wang
Producer: Elena Chang, Aries Liao, Suma Reddy, Constance Sng
Cast: Khalid Quraishi, Zunaira Khalid, Ebony Bates

About Filmmaker(s)

Elena Chang is 2nd generation Korean American who grew up on Staten Island, NY. She has organized multiple national efforts amplifying the stories of underrepresented communities by way of theatre, film, and visual arts. Previously, Elena served as program director of the Asian American Arts Alliance, where she managed artist-focused programs and community-centered initiatives. She was honored for her work by the White House AAPI Champions of Change Initiative for her artistic advocacy, has served on the advisory committees of API Rainbow Parents and KQTCon, and has produced projects for National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance and Act to Change. Elena received a BFA in Theatre from Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of the Arts, and continues to be inspired by the intersections of art, culture & activism.

Trailer Releases

Griffin Jing (she/her) looking at her reflection in her bathroom mirror, blow drying her long, dark brown hair.

Short film

At Home

At Home pairs two voices: a 29-year-old trans musician and a 79-year-old lesbian archivist. Through jam sessions, shared gatherings, and the legacy of the Brick Hut Cafe and the Bay Area Lesbian Archives, this experimental documentary explores queer friendship as a way of life, across fifty years of difference and everything they share.

August and Ebony

In August & Ebony, Ebony finds herself unexpectedly pregnant after a U-Haul marriage and has to navigate between her new wife August, her best friend-turned-child’s father Justin, and her own footing as a mother-to-be.