Zahara a Film Director, Producer, Actress and Scriptwriter, known for, ‘Pappy’ (2019), ‘Shelter Me’ (2018), ‘Inside Apollo House’ (2017) ,‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ (2002), ‘11th Hour’ (2017) and ‘Get Rich or Die Tryin’ (2005). Zahara Moufid grew up in Morocco speaking Arabic and French. She first discovered her love of storytelling with her grandmother, a gifted storyteller. Zahara’s grandmother, as an upper-class woman, was not allowed to work, or even to write. Determined to make stories and cinema the centre of her own life, Zahara studied arts and drama and worked as an actress in Casablanca. She also did a master’s degree in marketing.

Zahara moved to Ireland, and began a master’s degree in media studies at Griffith College, Dublin, and a part-time acting course at the Gaiety School of Acting, graduating in 2002. She joined an acting agency and was offered a variety of roles. Also in 2002, she was offered an assignment by the Irish Times to film in Libya, including an interview with Colonel Gaddafi.

In 2003, she was commissioned to film and produce a documentary about Sri Lankan refugees in Kerala, Bangalore, and various remote villages in India.

Back in Dublin, Zahara taught drama and filmmaking to underprivileged teenagers. Subsequently, she served as assistant to acclaimed filmmaker Jim Sheridan, who was then working on ‘Get Rich or Die Tryin’ in Toronto. Zahara shot behind-the scenes footage, which was picked up by MTV and Paramount Studios, after which Paramount offered her a contract to direct a documentary about the movie and 50 Cents. For two years, she followed 50 Cents between New York and Los Angeles. She went on an ongoing collaboration with Sheridan and a contract with his production company, Hell’s Kitchen, where she now works as a filmmaker, scriptwriter, and co-producer.

In 2007, she started an MA in Film Production at UCD Dublin. In 2014, Zahara founded the successful first Dublin Arabic Film Festival (DAFF) with Sheridan as festival president, and herself as Director. In December 2017, Zahara directed documentary Inside Apollo House, She also directed and produced ‘Shelter me’ and ‘Pappy’.