Filmmaker, producer, doctor, and city councilmember
Dr. Ahmad Zahra out shooting film in Fullerton

Recently, I interviewed Fullerton City Council Member Dr. Ahmad Zahra, who represents District 5. In recent years, many have come to know him for his municipal work, but he also dedicates his time to his independent film production company, Zahra Pictures. In fact, he has lately helped produce a film that is now in post-production. But how does a filmmaker find the drive to become a city representative? What is the connection between his dual paths?

As with most people, everything began in his childhood.

Zahra initially grew up in England, but later moved to Syria. He described moving there as a “culture shift.” The language, customs, laws, traditions, and people were all different compared to what he was once comfortable with. He had to cross a great divide without any proper bridge to ease the journey—or at least, that would be true if it were not for his interest in film.

In England, Zahra had always been fascinated with films, especially horror movies, loving how the medium could present fascinating worlds to its audience. This fascination stayed with him after he moved to Syria, and slowly films became the bridge that he needed to adjust to his new life. Films allowed him to escape and return briefly to his life in England, allowing him to hold onto a home that otherwise would have been lost.

“Films evolved from a fascination in my early childhood into a source of escapism for me. I wanted to be someone who could create those worlds where others could come, enjoy themselves, and find solace,” Zahra said.

But despite his passionate interest in films, Zahra wasn’t yet fully dedicated to movie production. He came from a family of doctors and public servants, and after taking the national exam following his high school graduation, he was matched with Damascus University Medical School. But Zahra was not sure if medicine was the best path for him.

So after communicating with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts when he was seventeen, Zahra asked his father if he could study film back in England. His father laughed it off, but told him that he could pursue film after finishing his medical studies at Damascus University.

After achieving a medical degree, Zahra traveled to the United States to pursue medicine but found an opportunity to pursue filmmaking in California—and he took it.

Around this time, Zahra visited a film producer whom he had admired growing up. Hoping that he would have a mentor who would help him rise in the entertainment industry, Zahra enthusiastically approached him—only to be disappointed.

“I went to my meeting with him, thinking he could help me a little bit, teach me or mentor me, but he didn’t. I was rejected. So instead I asked him for advice, and he told me, ‘When you make a movie, worry more about getting the credit than the money.’ And he told me, since I was starting later than most producers, to get things done quickly.”

Zahra’s first break into Hollywood was as an intern at a film distribution company until being hired full-time. There, he learned skills in film distribution, while taking night classes in film and studying Film and TV at UCLA. Later, the company eventually helped him to find a job at Fox Searchlight as an assistant producer.

Some time later, at Fox Searchlight, Zahra asked a producer what it took to be successful in Hollywood. “She said, Ahmad, there is no such thing. No one’s gonna give you anything, [so] go outside of the system and make a movie.”

Zahra took this advice to heart. He eventually quit his job at Fox Searchlight, seeking to establish his own film company. For his first project, he wanted to make a horror film, seeking to honor the many films that had captured his imagination in his childhood. And so, with a budget of $200,000 for the film, everything seemed set for production.

Then, everything changed.

On September 11, 2001, terrorists from the Islamic militant group Al Qaeda struck the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. In the aftermath, the work of Middle Eastern producers became discriminated against, and Zahra’s worldview changed. Shortly after the attacks, an interfaith group approached Zahra about producing a video to advertise their work in Mexico, where they were building housing to help families in need. Zahra saw an opportunity—not to advertise, but to make an impression upon people’s hearts.

“It dawned on me at that point that all my life I had been not only finding escapism within films, but films were also shaping my perspective,” Zahra said. “I realized that … I was watching Arabs being portrayed … with negative stereotypes, and that was the image of myself that I was absorbing. “In short, the events of September 11 allowed me to have a deeper understanding of the importance of film in influencing people and their perspectives.”

Rather than filming a promotional video, Zahra filmed a documentary, titled “On Common Grounds.” It was a decent success, winning several awards and airing on the Hallmark Channel. After that, Zahra continued to create films that focused on the stories about diverse cultures building bridges between communities. His most notable works are the aforementioned documentary “On Common Grounds” and the feature films “Three Veils” and “American East,” which MGM distributed. Zahra mentored film and theater students at CSUF and Fullerton College, hiring them as actors and interns while also helping to raise funds for their own short films.

Zahra, driven by a desire to showcase stories that highlighted activism and community struggles, wanted to contribute further to his community. In 2018, he ran for Fullerton City Council, seeking to represent District Five. Although he was told that his Middle Eastern origins were unlikely to win over the majority Hispanic population of District Five, he was elected nonetheless, becoming the first openly LGBTQ Muslim to be elected to public office in the U.S. He is currently finishing his second term on the Fullerton City Council, and has announced that he will not be running for re-election.

After the end of his term, Zahra plans to continue his path as a film producer.

Zahra’s story is one of breaking the status quo and building bridges for himself and others to cross. He became a filmmaker in a family of doctors and public servants, produced films and media in the aftermath of 9/11 in a time when his name became seemingly undesirable, and was elected to public office amidst an unfamiliar demographic. His story is an American one, one in which he pursued his passion and dreams, despite the odds.

When asked what advice he would give to new and aspiring artists, Zahra offered the following:

“Arm yourself with knowledge. Seek out opportunities to gain practical experience, even if it’s unpaid. The only way to truly learn is by experiencing it firsthand. Never give up on your dreams, and don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t achieve your goals. Rejection only makes you stronger.”

You can learn more about Zahra’s films, including trailers at: https://www.zahrapictures.com