Building Bridges Documentary Fund Program Manager
Email: labusaada [at] caamedia [dot] org
Leila Abu-saada is a Libyan-American documentary filmmaker and journalist who produces and develops nonfiction series and films for independent production houses and streamers. After graduating with an MA in International Journalism from City University London, Leila spent several years as a news producer at Al Jazeera English in Doha, Qatar.
Leila has since directed, produced, developed, and scripted for Emmy Award-winning series on Netflix, HBO, CNN, HULU, and Showtime. She has traveled to six continents producing sensitive-access stories that explore social justice, human rights, and conflict with an intentional human-first approach to storytelling. Her goal is to create socially impactful films that champion diversity in perspective and amplify risk-taking in creative craft.
Leila was previously awarded a Gotham (IFP) / HBO New True Stories grant and was a Camden Film Festival North Star Fellow. She is a member of Brown Girls Doc Mafia and Women in Film. Leila has lived and worked in London, Qatar, Tunisia, and Lebanon and is currently based in Los Angeles.