Ayoub Qanir

Ayoub Qanir (born 1983) is an American filmmaker and writer, known for his films Artificio Conceal and The World of Which We Dream Doesn't Exist. He is also a graphic novelist. In 2015, he was knighted by the King of Morocco.

Early life and education

Qanir was born in 1983 in Casablanca, Morocco. He grew up in Madrid, Spain where as a kid he would shoot short films with his friends in his parents' backyard using a Handycam. He later moved to the United States where he graduated from the University of Miami with a double major in management and finance. He also studied nanotechnology at Harvard and film direction at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.

Career

Qanir began his career directing and producing music videos and short documentaries. In 2009, he began writing fiction by releasing a series of comic books in collaboration with Juan Doe. Some of Qanir's earlier work includes films such as Human After All and Koyakatsi.

His first film to gain traction was Artificio Conceal, a 2014 film with David Bailie. In November 2015, Qanir became a Knight of the Order of Ouissam Alaouite awarded by the King of Morocco. It won numerous awards including "Best Production Design" at the Ischia Film Festival and "Best Experimental Film" at the American Filmatic Arts Awards. The following year he released the feature film Sea of Light which was filmed in the Westfjords in Iceland.

Filmography Year Title Director Writer Producer Ref.2012 Human After All 2017 The World of Which We Dream Doesn't Exist 2024 Daria 2025 Where God Lives

Graphic novels 2014, Artificio Conceal 2017, The First Moroccan in Space 2024, Lions of the Atlas