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Al Khaja’s films ”Animal” and ”The Shadow” achieved international recognition when [[Netflix]] acquired their rights in September 2022, expanding her reach to a global audience.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19399206/?ref_=tt_mv_close |title=Three |website=[[IMDb]]}}</ref>

Al Khaja’s films ”Animal” and ”The Shadow” achieved international recognition when [[Netflix]] acquired their rights in September 2022, expanding her reach to a global audience.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19399206/?ref_=tt_mv_close |title=Three |website=[[IMDb]]}}</ref>

=== Debut Feature Film: Three ===

Her debut feature film, ”Three” (2023), is a psychological horror-drama shot in the UAE and Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{cite web | title=””Three” – Red Sea Film | website=Red Sea Film – Red Sea Film Festival | date=30 November 2023 | url=https://redseafilmfest.com/en/rsiff_film/three/ | access-date=18 January 2024}}</ref> It premiered at the [[Red Sea International Film Festival]] in December 2023 and was scheduled for theatrical release across the Gulf region in early 2024.<ref>{{cite web | last1=Sheded | first1=Mona | last2=Kay | first2=Jeremy | last3=Rosser | first3=Michael | title=UAE thriller ‘Three’ lands Middle East distribution ahead of Red Sea premiere (exclusive) | website=Screen | date=18 January 2024 | url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/uae-thriller-three-lands-middle-east-distribution-ahead-of-red-sea-premiere-exclusive/5188434.article | access-date=18 January 2024}}</ref> The film stars British actor Jefferson Hall, alongside Emirati actors Saud Alzarooni, Faten Ahmed, Noura Alabed, and Maree Al Halyan.<ref>{{cite web |date=8 March 2024 |title=Emirati Filmmaker Nayla al Khaja is Breaking Language Barriers with AI |url=https://www.onearabia.me/hollywood/mandarin-release-for-nayla-al-khajas-movie-three-009941.html}}</ref> It explores themes of mental illness, belief, and cultural intersection via a family’s quest to comprehend the unsettling behavior of their child, interpreted by some characters as possession.<ref>{{cite web |last=دبي |first=محمد عبدالمقصود – |date=18 November 2017 |title=نايلة الخاجة: “المشهد”.. قصة نجاح سينمائية في دبي |url=https://www.emaratalyoum.com/life/cinema/2017-11-19-1.1045373 |access-date=18 January 2024 |website=emaratalyoum.com |language=ar}}</ref> Al Khaja has described ”Three” as a personal and cathartic project that functions as “healing and therapy,” composed of fragments drawn from real-life experiences.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff46/films/?id=46288 | title=ТРИ }}</ref>

Her debut feature film, ”Three” (2023), is a psychological horror-drama shot in the UAE and Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{cite web | title=””Three” – Red Sea Film | website=Red Sea Film – Red Sea Film Festival | date=30 November 2023 | url=https://redseafilmfest.com/en/rsiff_film/three/ | access-date=18 January 2024}}</ref> It premiered at the [[Red Sea International Film Festival]] in December 2023 and was scheduled for theatrical release across the Gulf region in early 2024.<ref>{{cite web | last1=Sheded | first1=Mona | last2=Kay | first2=Jeremy | last3=Rosser | first3=Michael | title=UAE thriller ‘Three’ lands Middle East distribution ahead of Red Sea premiere (exclusive) | website=Screen | date=18 January 2024 | url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/uae-thriller-three-lands-middle-east-distribution-ahead-of-red-sea-premiere-exclusive/5188434.article | access-date=18 January 2024}}</ref> The film stars British actor Jefferson Hall, alongside Emirati actors Saud Alzarooni, Faten Ahmed, Noura Alabed, and Maree Al Halyan.<ref>{{cite web |date=8 March 2024 |title=Emirati Filmmaker Nayla al Khaja is Breaking Language Barriers with AI |url=https://www.onearabia.me/hollywood/mandarin-release-for-nayla-al-khajas-movie-three-009941.html}}</ref> It explores themes of mental illness, belief, and cultural intersection via a family’s quest to comprehend the unsettling behavior of their child, interpreted by some characters as possession.<ref>{{cite web |last=دبي |first=محمد عبدالمقصود – |date=18 November 2017 |title=نايلة الخاجة: “المشهد”.. قصة نجاح سينمائية في دبي |url=https://www.emaratalyoum.com/life/cinema/2017-11-19-1.1045373 |access-date=18 January 2024 |website=emaratalyoum.com |language=ar}}</ref> Al Khaja has described ”Three” as a personal and cathartic project that functions as “healing and therapy,” composed of fragments drawn from real-life experiences.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff46/films/?id=46288 | title=ТРИ }}</ref>

=== Upcoming Feature: ”Baab” ===

Al Khaja is developing a second fantasy-realism horror feature film, ”Baab”, with [[A. R. Rahman]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://variety.com/2022/film/global/ar–rahman-nayla-al-khaja-baab-1235263860/ |title=A.R. Rahman, Nayla Al Khaja Team on ‘Baab’ |first=Naman |last=Ramachandran |date=11 May 2022 |accessdate=18 January 2024}}</ref> set to compose the musical score.<ref>{{cite web |date=8 May 2016 |title=See What’s Possible: Neutrogena Launches its First Global Campaign in the Middle East |url=https://bbeautyarabia.com/2016/05/08/see-whats-possible-neutrogena-launches-its-first-global-campaign-in-the-middle-east/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Emirati women at the forefront of the UAE’s thriving aviation and travel industry |url=https://www.emirates.com/media-centre/emirati-women-at-the-forefront-of-the-uaes-thriving-aviation-and-travel-industry/}}</ref>

Al Khaja ”Baab”, – .<ref>{{cite web |date=8 May 2016 |title=See What’s Possible: Neutrogena Launches its First Global Campaign in the Middle East |url=https://bbeautyarabia.com/2016/05/08/see-whats-possible-neutrogena-launches-its-first-global-campaign-in-the-middle-east/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Emirati women at the forefront of the UAE’s thriving aviation and travel industry |url=https://www.emirates.com/media-centre/emirati-women-at-the-forefront-of-the-uaes-thriving-aviation-and-travel-industry/}}</ref>

The film is co-written with prominent Emirati writer Masoud Amralla Al Ali. Oscar-winning composer [[A. R. Rahman]] is set to compose the score.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://variety.com/2022/film/global/ar-rahman-nayla-al-khaja-baab-1235263860/ |title=A.R. Rahman, Nayla Al Khaja Team on ‘Baab’ |first=Naman |last=Ramachandran |date=11 May 2022 |accessdate=18 January 2024}}</ref>

== Filmography and awards ==

== Filmography and awards ==

Revision as of 21:18, 19 September 2025

Emirati film director and screenwriter

Nayla Al Khaja
Born (1978-03-07) 7 March 1978 (age 47)
Nationality Emirati
Occupation(s) Director, producer
Spouse

Christian Peter

​

(m. 2016)​
Relatives 2

Nayla Al Khaja (Arabic: نايلة الخاجة‎; born March 7 March 1978) is the first female screenwriter, director, and producer in the United Arab Emirates.[1]

Early Life and Education

Raised in Dubai in a traditional setting that offered few female role models in the creative field, Al Khaja pursued her passion for cinema. She earned a degree in mass communication from Dubai Women’s College [2]and went on to complete a bachelor’s degree in film studies at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University) in Canada in 2005, supported by a UAE government scholarship.[3]

Career

Al Khaja began her career creating short films , her early works such as Arabana (2006), Once, Malal, and The Shadow have been featured and awarded at international film festivals. Both Animal (2016) and The Shadow (2019) were later acquired by Netflix, marking the first Emirati films to gain global streaming distribution.[4] [5][6]Al Khaja’s films are noted for their psychological insight, cross-cultural themes, and subversion of conventional portrayals of Arab identities.

Al Khaja’s films Animal and The Shadow achieved international recognition when Netflix acquired their rights in September 2022, expanding her reach to a global audience.[7]

Debut Feature Film: Three

Her debut feature film, Three (2023), is a psychological horror-drama shot in the UAE and Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic.[8] It premiered at the Red Sea International Film Festival in December 2023 and was scheduled for theatrical release across the Gulf region in early 2024.[9] The film stars British actor Jefferson Hall, alongside Emirati actors Saud Alzarooni, Faten Ahmed, Noura Alabed, and Maree Al Halyan.[10] It explores themes of mental illness, belief, and cultural intersection via a family’s quest to comprehend the unsettling behavior of their child, interpreted by some characters as possession.[11] Al Khaja has described Three as a personal and cathartic project that functions as “healing and therapy,” composed of fragments drawn from real-life experiences.[12]

Upcoming Feature: Baab

In 2025, Al Khaja completed production on Baab, her second feature and first art-house film.[13] The story follows Wahida, haunted by her twin sister’s death and drawn into a surreal journey through grief and memory amid the mountains of Ras Al Khaimah.[14]

The film is co-written with prominent Emirati writer Masoud Amralla Al Ali. Oscar-winning composer A. R. Rahman is set to compose the score.[15]

Filmography and awards

Filmography
Title Year Al Khaja credit Genre Project type Award(s)
Sweet Sixteen 1996 Writer & director Comedy Short
3adi.com 1998 Director Documentary Short
The Will 2003 Producer Documentary Short
The Loss 2005 Producer Drama Short
Unveiling Dubai 2005 Producer & director Documentary Short
Arabana 2006 Writer & director Drama Short Best Female Filmmaker – Dubai International Film Festival, 2007
Once 2009 Writer & director Drama Short
Malal 2010 Writer & director Short Production of the Year – Digital Studio Award, 2011; 1st prize, Muhr Emirati Category – Dubai International Film Festival, 2010; Best Script – Gulf International Film Festival, 2010; 1st prize, International Young Screen Entrepreneur – British Council, 2010; 1st prize, Emirati Short Film Script Competition – Gulf Film Festival, 2010
Hi 2012 Writer & director Drama Short
Three 2013 Writer & director Horror Short Hazawi Fund for Short Film – Doha Film Institute, 2013
The Neighbor 2013 Writer & director Drama Short Best Short Film – Middle East Now Festival, 2015; Muhr Emirate, Special Jury Award – Dubai International Film Festival, 2015; Best Emirati Film – Abu Dhabi Film Festival, 2013
Animal 2016 Writer & director Drama Short (pilot for feature project) Best women’s issue short – Madrid Arthouse Film Festival, 2022; Best Short Cinematography – Arthouse Festival of Beverly Hills, 2021; Jury Award, Narrative Film – Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival, 2018; Jury Special Prize, Best Short Fiction – Italian Movie Award, 2017
The Shadow 2019 Writer & director Drama, horror Short (pilot for feature project) Best Cinematography in Short – Dubai Independent Film Festival, 2022; Best Horror Short – Arthouse Festival of Beverly Hills, 2021; Best Fantasy / Horror Short – WorldFest Houston, 2020; Best United Arab Emirates talent – Al Ain Film Festival, 2020
The Road to Fulfilment 2022 Director Documentary Short Documentaries and Reports: Environment, Ecology and Sustainability, Silver Dolphin Award – Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards, 2023
Three 2023 Writer & director Drama, thriller, horror Feature film

Personal life

Al Khaja is proficient in five languages and speaks on topics such as cinema, entrepreneurship, culture, youth motivation, and women’s empowerment. She has given TED Talks.[16]

Awards and honors

  • “Emirates Woman of the Year”, Emirates Woman Magazine, 2005[17]
  • “Local Artist of the Year”, Emirates Woman Magazine, 2005[17]
  • First woman the direct TV commercial, 2005[18]
  • “Inspirational Leadership Award”, Lloyds TSB Bank, 2006[19]
  • “Young Woman Entrepreneur of the Year”, Middle East Businesswomen and Leaders Achievement Awards, 2007[20]
  • Jury member at the Middle East International Film Festival, 2009[21]
  • Member of Abu Dhabi Film Commission, Melbourne International Film Festival, 2010[22]
  • UAE Representative (Filmmaker Category), US Dept. of State, International Visitors Leadership Program, 2010[23]
  • Jury member with Freida Pinto in Dubai International Film Festival, 2011[24]
  • “Visionary of the Year”, Arabian Business Awards, 2011[25]
  • Jury member at Topic Fest with Nadine Labaki, 2011[26]
  • Recognized as “500 Most Powerful Arab People”, 2012[27]
  • “Top 50 Most Powerful Arab Women” Arabian Business, 2012[28]
  • “100 most powerful Arabs under 40, #48”, Arabian Business Power List, 2015[29]
  • Diff 2017: IWC Filmmaker Award shortlist[30]
  • “Entrepreneur of the Year”, Gulf Business Awards, September 2017[31]
  • “First Emirati to be awarded a seat at the Producers Network at the Cannes Film Festival”, for the feature script Animal, 2018[32]
  • “Most Admired Leaders of Asia 2018 – Process Evaluators & Research”, BARC Asia & Jury Panel, 2018[33]
  • “Top four Emirati women listed in Forbes”, September 2019[34]
  • Businesswoman of the Year – Gulf Business Awards 2020[35]
  • Top 50 most powerful personalities in Arab Cinema 2021[36]
  • WIFT MENA Excellency in Cinema Honorary Award, Women in Film and TV take the spotlight at the 6th META Cinema Forum, 2023[37]
  • 14 Successful Emirati Women Who Continue to Help Build the UAE, Vogue Middle East, August 2023[38]
  • Breaking This Bias – Women Leaders Summit & Awards 2023[39]

See also

References

  1. ^ Burney, Charlotte. “The UAE’s First Female Film Director: How Nayla Al Khaja Is Breaking Into Hollywood As An Emirati Woman”. Forbes. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  2. ^ “Film alumna smashes barriers as first female film director in the United Arab Emirates”. Toronto Metropolitan University. 21 September 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  3. ^ Pratt, Mary (12 December 2018). “Nayla Al Khaja: The UAE’s First Female Film Director & Producer”. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  4. ^ “Netflix streams two films by Emirati filmmaker Nayla Al-Khaja”. Arab News. 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  5. ^ Skirka, Hayley (5 November 2022). “Netflix releases two films by Emirati filmmaker Nayla Al Khaja”. The National. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  6. ^ Allam, Roula (5 January 2024). “Emirati Filmmaker Nayla Al Khaja To Begin International Journey With ‘The Alexandria Killings’“. About Her. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  7. ^ “Three”. IMDb.
  8. ^ “Three – Red Sea Film”. Red Sea Film – Red Sea Film Festival. 30 November 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  9. ^ Sheded, Mona; Kay, Jeremy; Rosser, Michael (18 January 2024). “UAE thriller ‘Three’ lands Middle East distribution ahead of Red Sea premiere (exclusive)”. Screen. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  10. ^ “Emirati Filmmaker Nayla al Khaja is Breaking Language Barriers with AI”. 8 March 2024.
  11. ^ دبي, محمد عبدالمقصود – (18 November 2017). “نايلة الخاجة: “المشهد”.. قصة نجاح سينمائية في دبي”. emaratalyoum.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  12. ^ “ТРИ”.
  13. ^ “See What’s Possible: Neutrogena Launches its First Global Campaign in the Middle East”. 8 May 2016.
  14. ^ “Emirati women at the forefront of the UAE’s thriving aviation and travel industry”.
  15. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (11 May 2022). “A.R. Rahman, Nayla Al Khaja Team on ‘Baab’“. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  16. ^ “TEDxAbuDhabi | TED”.
  17. ^ a b “‘Woman of the Year’ Honor for Emirati Filmmaker”. Arab News. 10 April 2006. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  18. ^ “Another day, another first”. gulfnews.com. 1 October 2005. Archived from the original on 13 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  19. ^ “Flair for business flourishing in Dubai”. gulfnews.com. 18 November 2006. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  20. ^ “Meet The Top 100 Global Women Mentors”. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  21. ^ “Kiarostami to preside over Middle East festival jury”. Mehr News Agency. 5 October 2009. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  22. ^ “UAE markets Emirati cinema Down Under – eb247 – The Business of Life – Entertainment – Emirates24|7”. www.emirates247.com. 20 July 2010. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  23. ^ “June Citizen Diplomacy News”. myemail.constantcontact.com. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  24. ^ “Frieda Pinto on DIFF jury duty”. gulfnews.com. 5 December 2012. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  25. ^ Anil Bhoyrul (20 November 2011). “Dubai Police chief takes top honour at awards night”. Arabian Business.
  26. ^ “Short and sweet”. gulfnews.com. 17 October 2011. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  27. ^ “InPics: The 100 Most Powerful Arab Women”. Arabian Business.
  28. ^ “InPics: The 100 Most Powerful Arab Women”. Arabian Business.
  29. ^ “InPics: The 100 Most Powerful Arabs Under 40”. Arabian Business. 19 April 2015.
  30. ^ “Diff 2017: IWC Filmmaker Award shortlist revealed”. gulfnews.com. 30 October 2017. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  31. ^ Nagraj, Aarti (11 September 2017). “Revealed: Winners at the Gulf Business Awards 2017”. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  32. ^ Staff Reporter (12 December 2017). “Nayla Al Khaja’s film accredited for Cannes Producers’ Network”. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  33. ^ “Most Admired Leaders”. Sunita Rawat. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  34. ^ Abusief, Fatma (2 September 2019). “These four Emirati women are on Forbes’ Women Behind Middle Eastern Brands list”. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  35. ^ Mansoor, Zainab (26 November 2020). “Revealed: Winners at the 2020 Gulf Business Awards”. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  36. ^ “Nayla Al Khaja”. Arabian Business.
  37. ^ “Women in Film and TV take the spotlight at the 6th META Cinema Forum”. www.zawya.com. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  38. ^ “14 Successful Emirati Women Who Continue to Help Build the UAE”. Vogue Arabia. 28 August 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  39. ^ “ME Women Leaders Awards 2023”. menawomenleaders.com. Archived from the original on 10 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.

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