Leena Al-Maiman

Hello! I'm Leena, a story artist from Saudi Arabia, currently based in Bristol. I'm a storyteller before I'm anything else, and I've followed that across storyboarding for children's television, writing for games, and now directing my own work.

I love culturally specific stories about childhood and topics deemed taboo, and I enjoy telling them indirectly through humour and visual playfulness.

During my time at UWE I've been finding my own voice through The Gathering, a film drawn from my own childhood. It's about an eleven-year-old girl navigating an all-women's gathering, watching the grotesque performance of femininity, and realising she's being prepared to join in. This year I've developed it into a full pitch package, and I'm excited to start pitching it and bringing it to life.