Yanal Kassay

Yanal Kassay is a producer and assistant director known for his work on Theeb, Under the Shadow, and Blessed Benefit, among a variety of other films and television shows of various acclaim. With a principal focus on the developing world, Kassay is a cultural hybrid, having been born in Jordan and raised mainly in the US and Europe. Starting his professional career on bigger-budget Hollywood productions such as Hurt Locker, Transformers II: Revenge of the Fallen, and Zero Dark 30, Kassay saw his personal film successes begin to take off in earnest with the Venice and BAFTA-winning, Theeb - also the first Jordanian film to be nominated for an academy award, after which Kassay began focusing his attention on independent films and more localized stories. With over fifteen years of experience in film and television, Kassay has worked on a number of narrative and documentary projects in several formats, including features, shorts, and series. He has an MFA in producing and editing, and has helped bolster some of the emerging voices of the Middle East. He presently has several series and features in development in and outside of the Middle East.