Lana
Senaoui

about the jury

Born and raised in Cairo to a family of writers, journalists and film critics, Lana Senaoui was immersed in global cinema from a young age. Her childhood was filled with screenings, critiques, and conversations about film from around the world — a formative environment that shaped her cinematic worldview and taught her to see storytelling as a universal language. 

Long before stepping behind the camera, Lana was a professional ballerina at the Cairo Opera House and studied classical piano. This early discipline instilled her obsessive sense of timing within filmmaking. 

She holds a BA in journalism and began her career assisting reporters while still a student, contributing to The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. She was also a published columnist for Egypt’s largest newspaper, authoring investigative pieces — a body of work that sharpened her craft with narrative and her ability to draw out lived-in, natural performances when working with non-actors. 

Lana’s evolution into commercial directing came through the creative ranks at BBDO and JWT Cairo, where she began as a copywriter working on brands like Pepsi, Mercedes and Nestlé. She fully transitioned into the directing chair in 2017 and has since directed work for brands including Instagram, Lufthansa, Vodafone, P&G, Unilever, and Nestlé. Her visual style is meticulous yet spontaneous — a tension between structure and instinct at the heart of her work. 

Fluent in English, Arabic, and French, and shaped by a French Catholic education in Cairo, Lana has lived between cultures her entire life, giving her a natural ease working across different regions while maintaining a clear point of view. 

Lana’s work has been recognized by D&AD, The One Show, CICLOPE, Clio Music, Shots Awards, Kinsale Sharks, 1.4 Awards, and as a Vimeo Staff Pick for Best of the Year.