Zayn Alexandre is a Lebanese-American director, writer, and actor based in New York City. His debut short film, Abroad, which explored the stereotyping and marginalization of Arab artists in the American entertainment industry, premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. His follow-up, Manara, a portrait of a Lebanese Muslim family determined to maintain appearances during the patriarch’s funeral, screened at the 76th Venice Film Festival as part of Giornate degli Autori (Venice Days) and went on to win over seven international jury awards.
His third short film, Saint Rose, centered on a Lebanese housewife confronting the pressures of a controlling marriage, premiered in competition at the 2024 Red Sea International Film Festival and later screened at the 2025 Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival.
Alexandre is an alum of the TIFF Filmmaker Lab and a recipient of the Khayrallah Prize for Lebanese Diaspora Art. He was named to the Arab America Foundation’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2025 and is currently developing his debut feature, PLUS ONE, through the 2026 TorinoFilmLab ComedyLab. His latest short, EXTRA, marks a turn toward dark comedy while continuing his exploration of identity, intimacy, and the ways people behave under social pressure.