Mounia Akl

Mounia Akl is a Lebanese filmmaker and writer whose creative life unfolds between Beirut and New York. She earned her undergraduate degree in Architecture from ALBA in Lebanon before pivoting to the cinematic arts, completing an MFA in Directing at Columbia University. Her academic journey also shaped her as an educator—she has taught film directing at Northwestern University in Chicago and led a screenwriting lab at Columbia, where she also served as a teaching assistant to the renowned film scholar Richard Peña. In 2021, Akl made her feature-length debut with *Costa Brava, Lebanon*, a film that marked her as a distinctive new voice in contemporary Arab cinema. The film, which she both wrote and directed, premiered to critical acclaim and showcased her ability to blend intimate family drama with broader social commentary. Her work is characterized by a keen visual sensibility, likely informed by her architectural training, and a deep engagement with themes of displacement, identity, and resilience. Akl continues to work across borders, both geographically and artistically, building a body of work that reflects her dual influences and her commitment to storytelling that is at once personal and universal.