SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS
4 Years Documentary Filmmaking experience
Field productionDirecting, producing and filming in Middle Eastern Refugee Camps
Shot direction
Remote pre-production and research
Post-Production Coordination
DSLR camera knowledge and experience
Own camera gear, lighting and sound equipment
Transcribing footage
Travelling and Producing internationally/ working with Fixers
Bilingual: Fluent in English and Arabic
Teaching Assistantat the college level
Booking and conducting interviews
Recording audio
Audio translation and subtitling
Knowledge of Avid Media Composer
Mac and PC Proficient
Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint
Social Media management
Public Speaking
Problem-solving abilities
Working with a large crew
Multitasking on location/ working solo
when required
Travel Experience (Over 20 countries and 50 cities)
Configuring equipment
Directing background
Deadline-driven
Strong interpersonal skills
EXPERIENCE
FESTIVAL VIDEOGRAPHER | 11/2019 to 11/2019
Open World Toronto Film Festival - Toronto, ON
•Covered all events, Industry Talks and Q&As during the festival.
•Shot red carpet premieres and live events.
•Conducted and shot interviews with filmmakers, attendees, festival staff and volunteers.
•Worked closely with Festival Directors to discuss shooting schedule and requirements.
•Safely transported all equipment to and from various locations for 4 shooting days.
•Handled technical setup such as lighting and sound for each shot.
•Used DSLR cameras to record component shots at over 3 different locations.
•Configured shots based on daily needs, weather and lighting conditions and available equipment.
SYRIA'S TENT CITIES DOCUMENTARY | 05/2017 to 07/2018
Director, Producer, Videographer, Editor, Sound
United States, Jordan, Lebanon, Canada
•Directed, Produced, Edited and Filmed a multiple award winning documentary on education for Syrian Refugees and integration into host communities
•Won 31 Awards for Syria's Tent Cities, including: Exceptional Merit Revolution and Reform Award (Docs Without Borders Film Festival), Humanitarian Award of Distinction (The IndieFest Awards), Best Short Documentary (Albany FilmFest 2019), Best Director (Lyons Film Festival 2019) and Best Documentary of the Year (Top Shorts 2019)
•Completed all pre-production for Jordan, Lebanon and Canada remotely from Los Angeles, prior to shooting on location
•Worked with limited crew members on location in Middle Eastern Refugee Camps and Canadian schools in Ontario Syria's Tent Cities has screened at over 15 festivals internationally
•Booked and conducted interviews with Bassam Khawaja and Adam Coogle of Human Rights Watch in Lebanon and Jordan, in addition to other international organizations working with refugees
•Worked closely with temporarily and permanently resettled Syrian refugee families in Jordan, Lebanon and Canada
•Remotely obtained shooting permits from Jordanian Government, Lebanese Government, Toronto District School Board and Thames Valley District School Board in London, Ontario
•Directed and shot on location at Zaatari Refugee Camp in Jordan
•Worked in informal refugee camps throughout Lebanon's Bekaa Valley
KCETLINK'S WHERE CULTURES COLLIDE (3 EPISODES) | 09/2016 to 02/2017
Producer, Associate Producer, Camerawork - Los Angeles, CA
•A short web series, Where Cultures Collide explores the intersection of Southern California's diversity through five short documentaries created in a collaboration between KCETLink and the Documentary Department at the New York Film Academy
•Wrote and produced Zaffa Episode about the traditions in Middle Eastern weddings being brought over to California and practiced across different cultures. Booked all interview subjects, researched topics, pre-produced interview questions, created crew call sheets, scouted all shooting locations and obtained filming permits in Los Angeles
•Associate Producer on Polynesian Tattoo and Santeria episodes. Duties included researching interview questions, scouting talent to be featured in the episodes and camera work on location
•Travelled to different parts of Southern California to film the episodes
TA | 12/2017 to 03/2019
New York Film Academy | Battery Place, New York - New York, NY
•Technical Assistant at the New York Film Academy, Documentary Department
•Assumed all tasks and responsibilities expected of me by Documentary Department heads in order to help current students achieve their academic goals
•Provided one-on-one assistance to students with Pre-Production and Production
TRANSLATOR | 08/2016 to 09/2016
Unwelcome Documentary (2017) - New York, NY
•Arabic to English translator for Unwelcome, the award winning short documentary film which screened at the Nobel Peace Center in Norway. Directed by Ida Theresa Myklebost.
PCOS THE FILM | 05/2016 to Current
Subject, Director, Producer, Second Camera - Seattle, Virginia, New York, Saudi Arabia, Los Angeles
•Directing, Producing and appearing in a feature documentary about PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome), an ovarian disorder that affects 1 in 10 women and causes a hormonal imbalance with side effects such as increased facial hair and an inability to conceive
•Underwent two major surgeries during production, while simultaneously Directing and Producing
•From New York, remotely booked interviews and worked with social media celebrity Little Bear the Bearded Lady in Seattle, a controversial figure in the PCOS Community
•As part of the Documentary, was operated on by Bariatric Surgeon Mohammed Al-Zaben and Plastic Surgeon Sari Rabah, both of whom are featured in the film
•Shot internationally, including: New York, Seattle, Virginia, Saudi Arabia, Los Angeles and Toronto
FIRST ASSISTANT CAMERA | 04/2019 to 04/2019
Robert Caro In Conversation With Conan O'Brien - Los Angeles, CA
•Assisted cinematographer Carl Bartels, known for his work on Taken, Taken 2 and Taken 3, in shooting behind-the-scenes and during the live event, Directed by Lizzie Gottlieb
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
09/2018 to 09/2018
Byron Hurt Hazing Documentary - Storrs, Conneticut
•On-location Production Coordinator during a shoot with a guest speaker at the University of Connecticut for Byron Hurt's Hazing Documentary
•Coordinated shoot, assisted cameraman Bill Winters and conducted OTF interviews with students post- event
IDA DOCUDAY VOLUNTEER
02/2017 to 02/2017 International Documentary Association - Los Angeles, CA
•DocuDay LA is IDA's annual all-day, back-to-back screening of the year's Oscar nominated documentary films
•Duties included personally greeting filmmakers and guests, check in, seating and theatre management, venue set-up and breakdown
•As a volunteer at DocuDay, I had the opportunity to meet and network with award-nominated filmmakers and artists
VOLUNTEER
09/2018 to 09/2018
IFP Week Documentary Investor Meetings - Brooklyn, NY
•IFP Week is the place where industry insiders discover new talent and projects, featuring a curated selection of new documentaries in development from over 22 countries
•While assisting at IFP Week, met creators, financiers, distributors, producers, executives and festival programmers
•Ensured that over the 1500+ meetings that took place during the event ran smoothly and on-schedule
•Worked to create a professional, warm and inclusive environment for all of IFP's Project Forum participants
FULL FRAME FELLOW
04/2017 to 04/2017
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival - Durham, NC
•Attended the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, which consisted of a four-day, morning-to-midnight array of nearly 100 films, as a Fellow
•Participated in the discussions, panels, and master classes offered as well as networking with a variety of filmmakers and artists
Education and Training
New York Film Academy - New York And Los Angeles, United States | Master of Fine Arts
Documentary Filmmaking- 09/2017
York University - Toronto, ON, Canada | Bachelor of Arts, Honours
Religious Studies- 06/2015