Fady Hadid

As a child, Fady’s fascination with his father’s Minolta ignited his passion for taking pictures. Years later, he used it to capture the 2003 invasion of his hometown in Baghdad. Despite car bombs and death threats, Fady developed a career in filmmaking in Iraq, holding key positions in producing, cinematography and sound design on several award-winning projects, while simultaneously earning a degree in engineering from the University of Baghdad. He has spoken about these challenging experiences to global media outlets such as the Los Angeles Times, The Times of London, The Guardian, Le Monde, BBC, CNN, ABC and NPR. Fady left Iraq in 2007 when he was awarded a prestigious scholarship to study at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. He earned an MFA degree in Film and Television Production with a concentration in cinematography and documentary. Fady’s work has played in festivals around the world and broadcast on major television networks, like National Geographic and the Sundance Channel. He is an alumnus of the Berlinale Talent Campus, and was a candidate for the ASC Heritage Award, and has won the Premio Rossellini and three Webby Film and Video Awards.