Meet Zaid Hassan

We recently connected with Zaid Hassan and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Zaid with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

I developed my work ethic from my father. Ever since I can remember, my father has been waking up at 4am to exercise, eat, and go to work. I always wondered why he couldn’t just wake up at 7am like every other normal person. As I got older he taught me about his life and his upbringing. My father at 16 came to America from Pakistan with no money, no connections, and no path. His father had saved up money and put everything on the line to send my dad away to have a better life. My dad worked multiple cooking and cleaning jobs while attending school. He never got to have a break or had the ability to sleep in. He ended up going to UT Austin for his undergrad and UC Berkeley for his masters where he studied computer science. He achieved the American dream not by having anything handed to him but by controlling his circumstances and outworking everyone around him so he could have the life he envisioned. My father has been able give me endless experiences, a great college education, and an amazing life. Every time I feel like giving up or taking a day off, I think about him and how a day off meant that there would be no food on the table. Most importantly he taught me that everyday we are granted with a new opportunity, and it’s up to us to capitalize on it.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

My name is Zaid Hassan is a Film Director born and raised in the Bay Area while currently living in Los Angeles. I graduated USC in 2023 where I studied Film Production at SCA.

I am a first-generation Muslim Pakistani American which really influences my artistic approach for my work. I takes immense pride in infusing my work with undertones of Islamic and South Asian influences.

Ever since I was a kid I knew I wanted to be a story teller. My brother and I would make videos on youtube growing up and we dreamed of making movies together. My brother was diagnosed with leukemia when he was 2 which really altered our upbringing. He was in and out of the hospital for his entire life which meant that our entire family was as well. I grew up seeing sick children everyday. While I had the chance to come and go, most of these kids were living in the hospital for months on end. I watched as most of these kids struggled with depression and the only thing giving them any hope was movies. While watching a movie my brother and the other children in the hospital could be transported from where they were and be anything they wanted to be. My brother chose to be spiderman and it allowed him to be strong in the hardest of times. My brother continued onwards to try and write his screenplay while receiving treatment but unfortunately passed away in 2012. I decided to carry his legacy on that day and make sure that the world knew of his story and all that he stood for.

Fast forward 10 years, I went to film school with another goal. I not only wanted to tell the world his story, but I wanted to create a more equitable space in the film industry for Muslims, South Asians, and all marginalized voices. I worked extremely hard to perfect my craft while I was at USC and got to direct the first Muslim thesis film fully funded by USC.

I’ve learned that change starts with ideas that seem astronomically out of reach. You may believe that you’ll never achieve what you set out to do, but I promise if you take a step in the right direction everyday, anything is possible.

I’m now currently directing a few projects on my slate including films about a father and son’s last few days together, a documentary about my parents, and my feature film depicting the life of my brother.

Along with directing my own projects, I’ve been blessed to come on board and work at Partners in Kind Productions where I support the creation of films that have social impact.

I’m still far from reaching my goals but I’m just thankful I’m taking a step in the right direction everyday.

In 2023, Zaid was honored with the prestigious Islamic Scholars Fund Film Scholarship, a testament to his dedication to furthering Muslim stories within the Film Industry.

He was also selected as one of four directors to create a thesis film at USC in 2023. With this selection Zaid went on to direct the first Muslim South Asian thesis film fully funded by USC titled “Sultana”. Sultana has been licensed and is streaming on Kanopy.

Zaid is currently working at Partners in Kind Productions where he is supporting the creation of films for social change. At Partners in Kind he has also directed a short documentary focusing on returning citizens coming out of prison in Florida and tracks their journey to vote in the upcoming 2024 election.

Zaid is also developing his debut feature film. The project is inspired by the true story of Zaid’s brother Omar, a talented filmmaker who was diagnosed with cancer and passed away before being able to achieve his dreams. The film is an extremely personal one to Zaid and he hopes to inspire people of every background to pursue their dreams regardless of their circumstances.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

The three most important things I’ve learned in my short amount of time on this Earth is to actively listen, to be patient, and to find people you love working with.

Listening is something that you’re born with, you lose overtime, and you have to find your way back to. I remember growing up I thought I had all the answers. I felt like no one could tell me what to do because no one knew what I was going through. As I got older I just learned that I was a really really dumb teenager. Now that I’m older, I’ve become a better person and collaborator because I learned how to listen. I’ve been blessed to have so many successful people in all facets of life around me and thanks to their constant lessons and wisdom I’ve become a lot more whole as a human being.

If you want to make filmmaking a career for yourself then you’ll be best friends with patience in no time. I’ve been rejected over 100 times, had things fall through, and watch everyone around me succeed without me. In times like this, we must learn to be patient. I truly believe that god will make success come for us all. We must remain resilient and most importantly we must champion those around us. Bitterness and jealousy won’t make your success come any faster and it won’t make you a better filmmaker. Celebrate your colleagues for their wins big or small as they’re finding their own battles that only they know.

Filmmaking is the most collaborative art to be created in my opinion. hundreds of hands will touch a project from the script all the way to the flyer of the movie. I grew up playing basketball which directly translated to directing movies for me. It’s a team sport and the more you love your team, the better you’ll all do. Work for each other and in return you’ll make a project you can all be proud of. My friend and frequent collaborator told me that we each have our own ideas of how something should be, but if we combine our ideas than it’ll be better than anything either of us could’ve thought of.

If you’re early on in your filmmaking journey all I can tell you is to constantly fail. Make projects that make you cringe. Make projects that will never see the light of day. Make them as personal as you can. The more you fail and learn from your mistakes, the quicker your success will come!

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

I’m overwhelmed all the time. I feel like I work a billion jobs and work all day but I move towards my goals at such a slow pace. I can feel burnt out at times and find myself questioning why I do all of this.

Advice I’d give to anyone feeling overwhelmed is to take a break! We all need time off. Go take a vacation or try something new. Hang out with old friends and spend time with your family.

When you get back home, watch your favorite movies. When I’m overwhelmed I find myself rewatching avatar the last airbender(I’ve watched the entire show over 100 times). I watch it because it depicts characters facing struggles and them overcoming it. It’s such a complex show but boils down to very simple concepts of hope, honor, love, and resilience.

After you’ve watched your favorite movie or show and have spent time with all your loved ones, take a journal and write out every reason why you want to be a filmmaker or any dream you have. Write a long list of every single reason. Once you’ve finished the list, read it, remember it, then get back to work. Become your biggest inspiration and you’ll never quit!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.zaid-hassan.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zaid.hass/?hl=en
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zaidahmedhassan