Rising Stars: Meet Shaza Moharam

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shaza Moharam.

Hi Shaza, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born in Alexandria, Egypt, a city steeped in history and culture. Ever since I remember, I had an aptitude for the arts and knowledge. I’ve traveled extensively and I’ve lived many lives; from volunteering in South America to assisting in an archaeological search in the Levant, to sailing in the Mediterranean with international exchange partners.

I consider myself to be a Renaissance woman, and cinema is a field that resonated with me naturally as it encompasses performing arts, visual art, sound art, psychology and humanities.

I obtained two Fulbright awards over the years, the first in filmmaking and the second in acting, a program I’m about to finish here in NYFA, LA. I was also awarded a scholarship from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Spain, where I earned my Master’s degree in Scriptwriting and trained as an actor.

In recent years, I’ve focused on performing, besides working as a script consultant and developing my own projects. The films I starred in screened in A-list festivals around the world including Cannes, TIFF, Berlinale, CIFF, Marrakech, among others. I went on to be selected as a Berlinale Talent, a program led by the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival that recognizes outstanding global talent.

Right now, I’m preparing for a number of new roles including “Zarqa Girl” by the Jordanian director Zaid Abu Hamdan, as well as writing a fiction project set in ancient Alexandria.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not. It took a lot of hard work and a lot of courage to say ‘no’. I choose quality over quantity as I’m committed to artistic excellence. It’s a hard path, but hey, I’m a Capricorn!

The international roles I wished to play did not exist some years ago. As a diverse actor, the parts offered pigeonholed me in stereotypical flat characters created by a western male gaze. But luckily, that is changing now and I’m grateful to be a part of that moment of change. These are exciting times.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a very versatile actor, a chameleon of sorts. I’m ethnically diverse. I speak four languages: Arabic, English, Spanish and French. I can play a wide range of characters from different backgrounds.

The work I’m proud of the most is the Egyptian-German film “Fakh” by Nada Riyadh. It took us blood sweat and tears to make. I played the lead part and my performance was named one of the best of the year after its premiere in Cannes Critics’ Week 2019. I was overwhelmed with the amount of touching personal messages of support from filmmakers, critics and viewers.

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I’m always thrilled to be part of creative projects and I’m happy to collaborate with other makers as an actor or a script consultant. You can either contact my reps for bookings or send me a direct inquiry.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.berlinale-talents.de/bt//talent/shaza-moharam/profile
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shazaster/?hl=en
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaza-moharam-a8037b107/
• Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3506743/ 

Image Credits
Ahmed El Naggar Juan Pablo Tupper Ahmed Jalboush Ahmed Magdy