Raised in Beirut, Lebanon, Yara has always been drawn to storytelling. Her interest in film was sparked by the many encounters she had with people from all corners of her home country and the stories they shared with her. Yara was awarded an IB diploma with distinction at the International College of Beirut, where she also participated in multiple film festivals that propelled her journey into cinema as well as sparking her interest in documentary filmmaking.

After producing two short films at the International Summer School of Scotland (ISSOS), and being awarded Best Film two years in a row, Yara attended the National High School institute (NHSI, which is part of Northwestern University’s summer programs) in 2019. Yara attributes the discovery of her visual language and new found passion for fictional filmmaking to this rigorous five week program in production.

This paved the road to NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she recently graduated from with a degree in Film & Television. Yara has since then written two feature script and directed six films, and produced four thesis films, each containing a different piece of herself.

In the summer of 2022, Yara returned to NHSI as a faculty associate where she worked as a teacher’s assistant in production and screenwriting. Additionally, she worked closely with the students on their own craft and acted as resident assistant where she created a safe creative environment and cultivated vibrant relationships with them.

She also gained experience as an intern with the production team of a feature film in Beirut that finished filming in the fall of 2022, and as a screening intern at the International Emmys.

Yara has just spent the 2022 Fall semester in Prague at The Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts (FAMU) where she wrote, directed, and filmed on 35mm and 16mm film as part of an exchange program.

In addition, Yara worked as an Executive Assistant at RAMFIS Productions and attended many festivals around the world with the company.

She has received many awards and recognitions at film festivals around the world. Her latest film, ALYA, has recently wrapped and is in post production.