About
Zayn Alexander (a.k.a Zayn Alexandre) is a Lebanese American film director, writer, and actor based in New York City.
Alexander was born and raised in a small town outside of Beirut, Lebanon. He attended college at the American University of Beirut. Though initially, Alexander had hoped to earn a degree in Fine Arts to pursue a career in Theatre and Film, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.
After graduating college, Alexander moved to New York City to pursue a Master of Arts degree in Psychology at Columbia University, where he completed the two-year program. While in New York, Alexander seized the opportunity to pursue his initial passion of performing, enrolling at the recognized T. Schreiber Studio and the Atlantic Acting School.
Frustrated with the limitations facing actors of Middle Eastern descent, Alexander decided to step behind the camera. In August of 2017, Alexander starred in and directed the acclaimed short film "Abroad". "Abroad" is an intimate foreign drama that explores the life of an immigrant couple and the potential collapse of their American dream. The film made its world premiere at the Oscar-qualifying 2018 Santa Barbara International Film Festival in competition. In its review, Cinephilia & Beyond stated that “the most prominent quality of Abroad is the fact that it succeeds in presenting a story that’s universal, accessible, and relatable to all, despite the powerful sociopolitical commentary.”
In 2020, “Abroad” was awarded the prestigious Khayrallah Art Prize for its honest and deep exploration of the diaspora and immigration. The annual Khayrallah Prize recognizes and publicly honors the best artistic expression of Lebanese immigrants across the world. Previous recipients include the late pioneering Lebanese filmmaker Georges Nasser.
“... Through humor to deal with racism and economic expediency, and painful poignancy about lives stretched across thousands of miles, and with an economy of visual and spoken language, Alexander tells a story that has been replayed in one way or another in many immigrant lives ... A veritable tour de force.”
Alexander’s directorial follow-up, “Manara”, made its world premiere during the 76th Venice Film Festival (Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia) in the Giornate degli Autori section (Venice Days) at the Villa degli Autori at the Venice Lido on September 4, 2019. The film was initially presented during the 5th edition of “Laguna Sud, The Cinema outside the Palace” (Laguna Sud - Il Cinema fuori dal Palazzo) where it took home the “Laguna Sud Award”. Laguna Sud was conceived and directed by Andrea Segre (founder of Zalab) and Giorgio Gosetti (artistic director of Venice Days). The jury, composed of director Paola Randi, director of photography Valerio Azzali, writer Francesco Targhetta, and Venice Days’ artistic director Giorgio Gosetti awarded “Manara” the top prize.
“.. For having been able to paint a world of judgement and stereotypes with originality and sensitivity, without rhetoric, in a story in which the “absent” are the protagonists.”
Following its Venice debut, “Manara” made its MENA premiere (Middle East and North Africa) at the 2019 Carthage Film Festival (Journées Cinématographiques de Carthage) in Tunis, Tunisia. The film participated in the official competition ‘Compétition Officielle Courts Métrages de Fiction’ and was nominated for the Tanit d’Or award for ‘Best Short Film’. In February of 2020, “Manara” picked up the Silver Hypatia Award for Best Narrative Short Film at the 6th Alexandria Short Film Festival. “Manara” is ranked as one of the Best 10 Arab short films of 2019 by Raseef22. In its review, Film Inquiry writes “Manara is thoughtful and quietly powerful, and feels particularly timely.”
“Manara” made its French premiere at the 2020 ÉCU – The European Independent Film Festival in April in Paris, France. The film played in competition and picked up The Ahmed Khedr Award for Excellence in Arab Filmmaking, an award given to outstanding and innovative cinematographic talent emerging from the Arab region.
“Manara” premiered to U.S. audiences in December of 2020 at NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFLA) in its first virtual edition of its annual InFocus: Middle Eastern, Arab program. Co-hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), the program featured a collection of compelling short films curated in partnership with the Arab Film and Media Institute (AFMI). The film picked up a “Best Screenplay” nomination for screenwriter and actress Pascale Seigneurie.
Most recently, Alexander was invited to participate in the highly selective TIFF Filmmaker Lab ’21 after the 46th Toronto International Film Festival unveiled its Talent Development programmes. Alexander was selected as 1 of 10 international directors to “receive an exceptional professional development experience, and an introduction to the global community of filmmaking.”
In addition to his background in Psychology, Alexander also carries a Master of Science degree in Communications from New York University. Zayn is a member of SAG-AFTRA.