NYFA WELCOMES SCREENWRITING ALUM AND MARVEL STUDIOS DIRECTOR MOHAMED DIAB TO LOS ANGELES FOR Q&A

Years ago, Mohamed Diab was a 1-Year Screenwriting program student studying at the NYFA Los Angeles campus. Today, he is the lead director and executive producer of Marvel Studios’ Emmy Award-winning series Moon Knight, available to stream on Disney+.

Mohamed Diab’s Return to NYFA

In September 2022, Diab returned to Los Angeles to speak with his former screenwriting instructor Crickett Rumley and current MFA Filmmaking student Israa Al-Kamali. In front of a crowd of students and alumni, Rumley and Diab discussed his career, recent work, advice, and anecdotes to share with aspiring filmmakers and screenwriters who dream of the same success.

"It's been incredibly rewarding to watch Mohamed build his career through the years since he left NYFA. He is so devoted to his craft, and it shows in the ways that he captures the complexities of the human experience in his stories and inspires audiences to think beyond their everyday lives. We are so proud of him and can't wait to see where his work goes next."

– Crickett Rumley, Senior Director, New York Film Academy Film Festival Department.

Screening Diab’s 2016 Feature Film Clash

Earlier that month, Crickett Rumley, the Senior Director of NYFA’s Film Festival Department, hosted a screening of Diab’s 2016 feature film Clash. The film, which landed Diab the role of director on the Marvel Series Moon Knight, tells the story of pro- and anti-Muslim Brotherhood demonstrators at a July 2013 protest of the ousting of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi. After the protest, demonstrators from opposite sides are forced into the back of a police van together.

The film was an instant success, earning a 95% “certified fresh” and 82% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Variety magazine author Jay Weissberg describes the film as “bravura filmmaking with a kick-in-the-gut message about chaos and cruelty (with some humanity).” Weissberg continues, “Diab’s handling of the crowded interior is a notable achievement…the way he moves rioting mobs outside the wagon in a fury of relentless, mad movement seems to channel De Mille with its sweep and control.”

Award-Winning Films and Television Credits

In addition to Clash, Diab’s film and television credits include other well-known titles, including The Replacement (2009), Cairo 678 (2010), Tayea (2018), Renegades (2018), and Amira (2021). His works, known to international audiences as thought-provoking and purposeful, have earned Diab respect and recognition on the film festival circuit. His 2021 film Amira, which tells the story of a 17-year-old Palestinian girl conceived from the smuggled sperm of her imprisoned father, Nawar, won three awards at the Venice Film Festival. His films have screened as official selections among a host of world-renowned and prestigious festivals, including Cannes, BFI London, El Gouna, and Red Sea.

A Conversation with Mohamed Diab

Kicking off the Q&A, Diab began with a statement that would tug at the heartstrings of even the most hardened college administrator, saying, “I feel I'm back home.”

Crickett Rumley (left) with director Mohamed Diab (right)“This place holds a dear place in my heart. I see my teachers here. I see Sonny Calderon. I was in his first class and am so proud of that.” Diab then enlightened the audience with his path from Egypt to Los Angeles, “When I got here, I had the syndrome of–I'm going to say–culturally defeated. I was in my country. I thought, like a lot of the generation right now–we don't watch Arabic movies–it's ‘beneath us,’ we only watch American movies. So after arriving, we were asked to write a full-length script, but I struggled with understanding the day-to-day in America. Every small nuance about the American character that I'm writing didn't come easy to me"

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