Zainab Shaheen

The landscape of storytelling can only be explored with the right storytellers. Zainab Shaheen got her start telling stories in her native UAE. Born in Fujairah her dedication to filmmaking can be found both as a director and editor. Her work with The British Council on an international collaboration product with Manchester Metropolitan University spotlights her game development, social media, and digital filmmaking experience. A graduate of Fujairah Women's College, Higher College of Technology, Shaheen's passion and acute sense of understanding the GCC, and especially the Emirati people, sets her apart from many up-and-coming directors today. Her body of work includes many short films including, "Journey of Hope," "Dates to Mars," "Fujairah Vlog," and "UAE 2071." Shaheen brings a commitment to empowering Emirati and Emirati-based talent to tell the uniquely Emirati story of Mountain Boy. It's that inspirational perspective that invigorates her partnership with Desert Rose Films, a production company who takes pride in creating all-female production teams and building a strong national skilled crew base in UAE and throughout the GCC.