Many emerging Lebanese movie directors, including Mounia Akl, are taking the world of filmmaking by storm and transforming it to meet the demands of the new cinematic era.
Mounia Akl is a director and writer living between Beirut and New York. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from ALBA and an MFA in Directing from Columbia University.
She is also a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Her first feature film, Costa Brava, Lebanon, starring the Oscar-nominated Nadine Labaki, has brought her the success she deserved, as her film was premiered at renowned film festivals, including the Venice Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, and BFI London Film Festival.
The film won the Jury prize in Sevilla and Geneva, a special mention for its ensemble cast at the Santiago International Film Festival, was Lebanon’s submission to the Oscars, and was acquired by the U.S. film and video distributor, Kino Lorber.
In addition to Costa Brava, Lebanon, Akl has several works, namely fiction films (Submarine), web series, including Fasateen, Do Not Disturb, and BILY, as well as fashion films for major brands like Dior, Elie Saab, and Sandra Mansour.
Apart from her acclaimed directing ventures, Akl has also taught Directing and Screenwriting at New York’s Columbia University and the NHSI film summer institute at Northwestern University in Chicago.
The Lebanese director is currently working on developing new projects between her home country and Los Angeles where she was a Ted Talk Women speaker.
Related: Award-Winning Film ‘Costa Brava, Lebanon’ Will Be Available On Netflix Starting November
