Biography

Susan Youssef is a Brooklyn born, Lebanese filmmaker whose work has been selected for leading international festivals including Sundance, Venice, Busan, and the Toronto International Film Festival. Her work has received numerous honors, including the International Federation of Film Critics Prize and the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema Award, and is recognized for its exploration of identity, displacement, and belonging.

A Fulbright Fellow, Princess Grace Award recipient, and Yale University Poynter Fellow in Journalism, Youssef has exhibited video art at institutions including Tate Modern, the New Museum, and The Museum of Modern Art. She is an alumna of the ABC/Disney Directing Program and NBCUniversal Launch.

Three of her films: Habibi, Amsterdam to Anatolia, and Marjoun and the Flying Headscarf, were featured in the Netflix worldwide catalog from 2021 to 2024. Working across film, television, and contemporary art, Youssef creates stories that bridge cultures and challenge conventional narratives.

Youssef is a member of the Directors Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She is developing and directing new feature projects, including Aya and the End, an Arabic- and English-language fantasy feature.

Before becoming a filmmaker, Youssef worked as a schoolteacher and journalist in Beirut. She lives between Amsterdam and Connecticut, where she is a Film Advisor and educator at Yale University.
- IMDb mini biography by: SY Films