Hanadi Elyan

Assistant Professor Hanadi Elyan is a filmmaker whose work focuses on the social issues facing marginalized communities from a female perspective. She received her MFA in Film Production/Directing from UCLA on a full ride scholarship from MSFF. Her film career started in Jordan where she wrote/directed the award-winning short film Mariam’s Chance (2013) before working as a producer of short commercial online content. In 2012, she moved to Dubai to establish Reel Arab Productions, a company that created commercials for international brands and produced TV content for MBC, the biggest Arab broadcaster in the world. Her independent film work has focused on breaking stereotypes, particularly ones associated with Arab women, and has earned her numerous awards, including a spot in the World Economic Forum's Global Shapers community, recognition from The Producers Guild of America, Special Jury award at the Tangiers Film Festival, the George Burns and Gracie Allen Scholarship Fellowship, among others.

At Emerson, Assistant Professor Elyan will be teaching narrative film directing.