The Interesting Journey of Filmmaker Rima Naim

An inspirational woman in film- Rima Naim

 

Rima Naim is not your typical filmmaker.  She was born in Lebanon and raised in Saudi Arabia. Rima was raised this strict environment, where there were no cinemas or theaters; so she became even more intrigued and curious about pursuing a career in the film industry. She longed to become a filmmaker.  After spending time in Saudi Arabia, her interest in pursuing filmmaking was peaked �" she wanted a creative outlet to share her view of the world with those around her.  However, Rima felt that she needed to learn more.  When she stepped into university life, she had the opportunity to work on her dreams as she opted for Communication studies as her major. Although she lived at a place where women are not allowed to work with men, she somehow kept that fire burning inside of her, used that to fuel her pursuit of her dream, and came out on top. Despite the fact that it was only last year that the first feature-length film directed by a Saudi woman, Haifaa Al Mansour, was released, Rima has created quite a niche as one of the few women who have made it to the top in the Middle East.

After completing her Bachelors Degree, she moved to Los Angeles to complete her Masters degree in Film making and after her first experience, she decided that there was no turning back. Rima has most recently been working in independent filmmaking, during which time she has directed many short films and documentaries. She has also been working as a liaison in coalition with many companies in the Middle East.

During her studies, Rima had intensive training with Mazen Fayyad from Lebanon, a reputable award-wining film director. After completing her mentoring, she went on to work in the Saudi film world, which boosted her experience even more, as she loved working on set and couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

Recently, Rima worked on a huge project �" a series of IKEA commercials targeted for the Middle East, which is a fantastic opportunity for her to expand and market her skills. She is determined to give it her best shot and produce something, which is truly remarkable.  She plans to build off her success working in film, such as on Napkins, which showed in several prestigious film festivals and received numerous accolades, and the fairytale film Successor of Katunga, which won numerous awards at film festivals across the U.S.  Rima developing a feature script and is hoping to make a short film in Los Angeles, upon her return to the U.S.

She has worked with some of the most illustrious directors in the Middle East with the likes of Mazen Fayad, Farah Assaf and Ali Maasarani included.She has also been credited for the production of some of the most creative and successful advertisements in that region of the world for such iconic companies as IKEA and Cornelli Ice Cream. Rima has also worked for some of the biggest advertising agencies, not only in the Middle East, but also in the entire world. The names include some biggies like Impact BBDO, Fantastic Film Factory, Wonderful Productions and Made in Saudi Films.

Being raised in such a sophisticated, yet strict environment has been quite a challenging and difficult journey for Rima, but that has made her choice to live out her dreams and her significant achievements that much more admirable. She continues to work enthusiastically, which show in her work,and is determined to make a difference in the world through the lens of her camera.

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