Mounia Akl

Mounia Akl is a director and writer from Lebanon living between Beirut and New York. She holds a bachelor's degree in Architecture from ALBA and an MFA in Directing from Columbia University and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences®. Her first feature film, Costa Brava Lebanon, premiered in 2021 at the Venice Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival (Netpac Award) and BFI London Film Festival (Audience Award). Some of her other previous work includes fiction films (Submarine, Cannes Film Festival), web series (Fasateen, Do Not Disturb, BILY) and fashion films (Dior, Elie Saab and Sandra Mansour.) Apart from her personal directing ventures, Mounia has also taught Directing and Screenwriting NHSI film summer institute at Northwestern University, Chicago and was a preceptor in Screenwriting and Directing at at Columbia University, New York. In 2022, Mounia has been developing new projects between Beirut, Paris and LA where she also was recently a Ted Talk Women speaker.