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Hanadi Elyan

Assistant Professor, School of Film, Television, and Media Arts

Hanadi Elyan is a filmmaker whose work focuses on the social issues facing marginalized communities from a female perspective. 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, Elyan 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.

Elyan received her MFA in Film Production/Directing from UCLA on a full ride scholarship from MSFF.  Visit Hanadi’s website.

Courses
  • BFA Production Workshop
  • Directing Image and Sound
  • MFA Thesis Project
  • Directing Actors for the Screen
  • Portfolio Production
  • Fiction Film Directing