Majid Al Ansari

Majid Al Ansari (born 1987), is an Emirati filmmaker.[1] He is best known as the director of critically acclaimed film Zinzana: Rattle the Cage and Netflix's first Egyptian television series Paranormal.[2]

Majid Al Ansari
ماجد الأنصاري
Born
Majid Al Ansari

1987
United Arab Emirates
NationalityEmirati
Occupation(s)Director, producer, writer, editor, production manager
Years active2000–present

Personal life

Al Ansari was born in 1987 in Abu Dhabi, UAE to an Emirati father and Kuwaiti mother. At the age of 16, he decided to study film, while watching the popular anime series Bleach.

Al Ansari studied music at California State University, Long Beach before entering cinema.[3] He was a counsellor at the American International School.[4]

Career

After graduation, Al Ansari got a scholarship from the government to attend second semester in New York Film Academy,[4] but later dropped out.[5] He started film at the old Abu Dhabi Film Commission under David Shepherd. In 2008, Al Ansari went on his first set for a commercial as a trainee assistant,[3] which was shocking for him and he nearly gave up. At the age of 21, Al Ansari worked on his first short film Colors, which was a cinematography-based film.

Al Ansari then moved to work at Image Nation in 2010.[6] Part of his job at Image Nation was to read scripts and find things that they could adapt.[7] During this period, he moved to Africa and attended the Maisha Film Lab in Uganda, a non-profit training initiative for emerging East African film-makers. After returning to UAE, he made his maiden short film The Intruder!.[3]

Ansari made his feature debut film Zinzana: Rattle the Cage in 2015.[8] It’s is a contained thriller that takes place entirely in a prison. The film had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX, and then European premier at BFI London Film Festival. The film received critical acclaim and later won the award for the Best Arab Filmmaker of the Year at the 2016 Berlin International Film Festival.[6] The film was then picked up by IM Global for world-wide representation, and sold to Netflix as the first Arab film acquisition.[3] The film is reportedly the first film of its genre to be produced in the United Arab Emirates.[9] After the success of the film, he worked as an executive producer on three major Arab films: Shabab Sheyab, Rashid & Rajab, and Scales, the latter of which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival Critics Week in 2019 and won the Club Verona award for most innovative film.[10]

In 2020, Majid directed three episodes of the critically acclaimed Netflix series Paranormal. The series, based on Ahmed Khaled Tawfik's renowned novels, was the first Egyptian original series for the global streaming platform and was a top trending series following its November release.[11][12][13]

Partial filmography
YearFilmRoleGenreRef.
2011Sea ShadowTrainee assistant location managerFilm
2011The Intruder!Director, producer, writer, editorShort film
2013DjinnAssistant location managerFilm
2014From A to BExecutive producerFilm
2015Zinzana: Rattle the CageDirector, writerFilm
2018On Borrowed TimeExecutive producerFilm
2017–18Justice: Qalb Al AdalaExecutive producerTV series
2019Rashid & RajabExecutive producerFilm
2019ScalesExecutive producerFilm
2020ParanormalDirectorTV series

References
  1. "Majid Al Ansari, Rattle The Cage". screendaily. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  2. "Majid Al Ansari". elcinema. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  3. "Friday meets Emirati film-maker Majid Al Ansari". Friday Magazine. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  4. "Friday meets Emirati film-maker Majid Al Ansari". gulfnews.com. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  5. Hashmi, Faisal (2015-12-10). "Filmmaking Within Confines – A Conversation With Local Filmmaker Majid Al Ansari". IGN Middle East. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  6. "Emirati director Majid Al Ansari talks about his film Zinzana". The National News. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  7. Wise, Damon (2016-02-13). "'Zinzana' Helmer Majid Majid Al-Ansari Receives Mid-East Filmmaker of the Year Awards". Variety. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  8. "Director Majid Al Ansari on why he made his neo-noir, Rattle the Cage". Khaleej Times. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  9. Leydon, Joe (30 September 2015). "Film Review: 'Rattle the Cage'". Variety. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  10. Ramos, Dino-Ray (2020-04-29). "Variance Films Acquires Shahad Ameen Feature Drama 'Scales'". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  11. "NYFA Alumni Majid Al Ansari and Razane Jammal Involved in Arabic Netflix Series 'Paranormal'". www.nyfa.edu. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  12. "Netflix reveals release season of Ahmed Khalid Tawfik's Paranormal - Entertainment - Arts & Culture". Ahram Online. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  13. "The 'Paranormal' Experience: Season One Review of Netflix's First Egyptian Original Series | Egyptian Streets". 2020-11-13. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
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