Azita Ghanizada

Azita Ghanizada is a political refugee and asylum seeker, who has broken many cultural barriers in Hollywood. She has worked consistently on both film and TV holding her own opposite Academy Award-winners and nominees such as Rachel Weisz, Mahershala Ali, David Strathairn, Sam Shepard, Michael Shannon, Casey Affleck and others. In 2016 she was named one of the "Seven Sundance Breakout Actresses You Must Know" for her work opposite Rachel Weisz in "Complete Unknown." On television she has proven her ability to be a chameleon, with her recently recurring on a number of hit TV shows, including CBS's "United States o f Al," HBO's "Ballers," and Freeform's "Good Trouble." Recent work on film, includes a role in "Our Friend," on Amazon, which had its world premiere at TIFF (2019) and "We Broke Up," on Hulu (2021). In 2022, she was the first woman from Afghanistan on Broadway, in her 2022 Broadway debut, in the The Kite Runner" at The Helen Hayes Theater. Azita is also the Founder and President of MENA Arts Advocacy Coalition (MAAC). An organization that she launched after building the first new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion hiring category into a labor contract in 37 years. Middle Eastern North African, MENA, was drafted into the SAG-AFTRA theatrical contracts in 2017. A well rounded and leading global advocate for her community, Azita has served as the SAG-AFTRA National MENA Committee Chair, a Global Ambassador to Women for Women International, National Council to Welcome.us for Afghan Refugees, and gave her first TedxTalk in 2019.