Moroccan Film Director and producer.

She is sometimes credited as
Dounia BENJELLOUN

Dounia BENJELLOUN MEZIAN is a film director and producer.

Ms. Benjelloun has worked in the global film production sector in a variety of functions, from marketing and publicity to distribution development. She is fluent in English, French, Spanish, and Arabic. She possesses a degree in Communications and has superior written and oral communication skills, as well as an extensive understanding of film production, advertising, public relations, and entertainment industry in numerous capacities.

Dounia's prior international experience span the following projects and companies
" Columbia Pictures, International Advertising Department
" Columbia pictures, "Ishtar" Production
" Eon Productions, "The Living Daylights" Production, James Bond 007
" Tri Star pictures, Publicity Department
" Royale Sodifilm - Distribution of Columbia Pictures movies
" Univers Film - Distribution of Universal movies

Awards
" Telly Awards for "Beautiful Morocco"
" Special Mention of the Jury at the 15th festival Le Creusot for her documentary film
"One thousand and One Schools"

The childhood of Dounia Benjelloun Mezian, who was born in Morocco, was markedly influenced by her grandfather Hadj Abbas Benjelloun, a film distributor for Columbia Pictures and United International Pictures as well as the owner of a chain of cinemas in Morocco. Dounia was therefore immersed in the world of film from a very young age. It was her love of film that inspired her to study in the United States to earn a degree in Communication at the American University in Washington DC in 1983.

After graduation, she worked as an assistant to the location manager for the film "Ishtar" produced by Columbia Pictures as well as in the advertising department on the Moroccan set of the film "The Living Daylights" in the James Bond series.

Theses experiences encouraged her to found Dounia Productions in Casablanca in 1986. Like her grandfather before her, Dounia managed seven cinemas in Casablanca, Rabat and Tangier between 1991 and 2000. She distributed Columbia Pictures and United International Picture films to all the cinemas in Morocco.

Dounia now has a personal preference for producing documentaries and commercials. She has extensive knowledge in a variety of international film industry sectors from producing films to advertising to public relations. Dounia is fluent in French, English and Spanish.

In addition to being a producer, Dounia Benjelloun Mezian is also a film director and her film "The Restoration of the Saadian Tombs" was awarded a Silver Dolphin at the 2017 Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards and in 2018 a Gold Camera at the US International Film & Video Festival and received the Award of the Best Cinematography at the Madrid International Film & Video Festival.

In 2019, her film is also rewarded by the Impact Docs Festival of la Jolla in California, receiving the Award of Merit.

Dounia Benjelloun Mezian distinguished herself in 2020 with her latest documentary film, "The Apache Ceremony of Kiana", shot in Arizona, USA, and received several prizes and nominations at the following festivals:

- Los Angeles Film Awards : Honorable Mention - New-York Film Awards : Best Documentary
- FilmCon Awards : Best Feature Documentary - Docs Whitout Borders : Award of Excellence

- Festigious Film Awards : Honorable Mention
- Impact DOCS Awards - La Jolla - USA : Award of Merit Special mention - Latitude Film Awards in London : Silver Award
- IndieFEST Awards - La Jolla - USA : Merit Award
- Awareness Film Festival, Los Angeles : Merit Award
- New York City International Film Festival: Official Selection
- European Cinematography Awards (ECA) Amsterdam: Finalist
- Florence Film Awards Italy: Finalist
- Social World Film Festival : Official Selection
- Arizona Sunburn Film Festival : Official Selection
- Universe Multicultural Film Festival : Official Selection

To extend her expertise, Dounia Benjelloun Mezian will shortly focus on the production of full-length films.

Source:
https://douniaproductions.com/index.php/A_propos/