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Julia is an Iranian-American writer/director and sometimes producer whose work spans across the narrative, documentary, and commercial landscape. Through film, she aims to shed light on underrepresented stories which capture life’s candid beauty.
At age 19, her short film YASAMIN, based on her mother’s story of immigration, was a Grand Jury Prize Nominee at the 2018
AFI Film Festival. In 2022, she associate produced the short documentary
LONG LINE OF LADIES which world premiered at the 2022
Sundance Film Festival, won the grand jury prize at SXSW, and was picked up by The New York Times Op-Docs. In 2021, she produced the short documentary TEAM MERYLAND which was acquired by
The New Yorker and PBS' POV Shorts Program.
Julia's short narrative film, WINTER OF '79, had its World Premiere at the prestigious Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival, and had its online debut on Omeleto. Her latest short,
IN THE GARDEN OF TULIPS, had its world premiere at the
Aspen Shortsfest, where it won the “Youth Jury Award.” The film also took home the Oscar®-qualifying award for “Best Live Action Short ” at the St. Louis International Film Festival and has made its online debut as a Vimeo Staff Pick.
When it comes to commercial work, Julia has worked with a range of clients from Amazon to Hims. Julia was selected as a finalist for the 2023 Commercial Directors Diversity Program, endorsed by the AICP and the Directors Guild of America (DGA).
In the future, Julia hopes to tell more stories that remind us to cherish the small wonders of life that emerge even in the face of hardship.
© 2021 Julia Elihu