Arab-American comedian Ahmed Ahmed is the subject of a new Hollywood documentary, Ahmed, Say Something Funny. The film chronicles the comedian “struggling against the odds” to succeed in the entertainment industry.

“I’m always looking for people who are a little bit outside of the mainstream,” filmmaker Thelma Vickroy told the Los Angeles Daily News.

She continued: “I feel that, for Ahmed, being Arab- American means having to go through a lot of struggles living in this country, especially post-9/11. I wanted to humanize the conflict between Arab and American in America today.”

Vickroy spent roughly five years following Ahmed’s career as a stand-up comedian and actor, watching his development as both a performer and a person.

“He has this sense of humor about his life and how he navigates the world, and about the racial aspects of his everyday routines. He’s able to see the funny side of it, and it’s a refreshing honesty.”

Ahmed, Say Something Funny screened Tuesday at the 2008 Action on Film Festival in Pasadena, CA The film, which has been nominated for four of the festival’s honors, intersperses the traditional documentary interview format with clips from Ahmed’s stand-up shows around the country.

Ahmed was recently seen in Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show and will be performing at the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 25.  Check out a clip from the documentary here.