
Zayn Alexandre
Directing
Biography
Zayn Alexandre is a Lebanese-American director, writer, and actor based in New York City. His debut short film, Abroad, premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. His follow-up, Manara, received a special screening at the 76th Venice Film Festival (Venice Days) and went on to win over seven international jury awards. An alum of the TIFF Filmmaker Lab (2021), Alexandre was recently named to the Arab America Foundation’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2025, recognizing outstanding Arab Americans shaping culture. He holds graduate degrees from Columbia University and NYU. His work explores identity, family dynamics, and generational tension, often grounded in sharp societal critique. His latest short film, Saint Rose, premiered at the 2024 Red Sea International Film Festival and was selected for a special screening at the 2025 Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival.
Known For

On the eve of her sister’s wedding, Karina brings her “best friend” home to meet the family. When the groom-to-be joins them, she is reminded of her family’s expectations and her queer anxieties begin to unravel in a film that blurs the line between fiction and reality.
Dress Up

Jad and Rania, a Lebanese couple living in New York City, struggle to achieve their shared dream of breaking into the entertainment industry due, in part, to the typecasting of Middle-Eastern actors.
Abroad

A discontented housewife self-medicates as her husband assumes control of their daughter's engagement preparations.
Saint Rose

Tragedy strikes when the Zayyad family loses its patriarch under mysterious circumstances, leaving the surviving members to fend for themselves within a judgmental community in Southern Lebanon.
Manara

Two cousins reunite in a Brooklyn bar, where a run-in with an ex makes the night even more chaotic.
Cousins

While boxing and jazz rely on improvisation, they both have a deep sense of resilience. Hala, an Arab American female boxer in New York City, and Kendrick, an African American jazz musician, improvise their way through a passive-aggressive America. She's Miles Davis in boxing gloves and he's Muhammad Ali refusing to live a lie.