DIRECTOR'S BIO:

Lauand Omar is a filmmaker with a truly global journey. Born in Syria and raised in Germany, he pursued Film and Television Production in Miami, FL, and Toronto, Canada, shaping a career that spans continents and genres.

In 2005, he wrote, directed, and produced his first feature film, “Bekhal’s Tears,” a women’s rights drama shot in Iraqi Kurdistan. The film broke barriers, becoming the first Kurdish film ever selected at an Arabic film festival, premiering at the 2006 Emirates Film Competition in Abu Dhabi.

By 2007/2008, Lauand was producing high-rated reality shows in the UAE for major brands like Samsung and Clean & Clear before joining MTV Arabia as a producer.

In 2010, he co-created “Aassas,” a supernatural comedy set in Morocco, which made history as the first TV series from the region to secure a development deal with Gaumont France. The show was later adapted for the Algerian market as “Al Khamsa” in 2014, backed by telecom giant Ooredoo.

His second feature film, “Curse of Mesopotamia” (2016), gained international recognition in the indie horror scene, drawing coverage from Paris Match, Al Jazeera, and BBC World. The film premiered as the #1 movie at the box office in Iraq and was screened at festivals including Panama Horror Film Fest, Acapulco International Film Festival, and the Moscow Kurdish Film Festival. Curse of Mesopotamia is still available to stream on Amazon Prime, Tubi, and other digital platforms across North America.

Splitting his time between Mexico and Germany, Lauand recently shot the pilot for “La Diosa de Sangre,” starring Fabiola Campomanes, and is currently in pre-production for his horror-comedy “Bitten Soon.”

Fluent in English, German, Spanish, Arabic, and Kurdish, Lauand is represented by Crawford Talents.