Name: Jena Maya Ezzeddine

Recipient Year: 2021

Description: Jena is a screenwriting fellow at the American Film Institute in Hollywood. She grew up in Dayton, Ohio until the age of 10, when she moved to her motherland, Beirut, Lebanon with her family. Jena attended UC Berkeley for her masters, double majoring in Ethnic Studies and Cognitive Science. After graduating, she focused her career on music production and composition, but found the medium too limited for the social and political statements she wanted to convey. She realized her passion for film in 2019, when a friend asked her to edit their screenplay. She has since been working solely on film with a focus tunnel vision. Otherwise, Jena enjoys connecting with nature, reading, and learning new cultures.

School Name: American Film Institute Conservatory

Sponsor: Shahin-Fatemeh Scholarship

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jena-maya-ezzeddine-635394136/