Biography
Miguel Ali is an independent film director and published author. His films have screened at more than 85 film festivals and earned over 35 awards. Previously, Miguel Ali was also a politician and political commentator.
As a political commentator, Miguel Ali regularly appeared on Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher and CNBC's The Dennis Miller Show. He was also a frequent guest on Fox News, BBC Radio England, and MSNBC. His political articles have been published on BeliefNet and the Huffington Post.
Miguel Ali ran for office in Colorado twice: in 2008 for the State House and in 2010 for State Treasurer. Although unsuccessful, he engaged with voters by knocking on over 20,000 doors across Colorado, an experience that continues to inspire his work.
He recently completed his debut feature film, Confessions of a Womanizer, featuring Gary Busey, C Thomas Howell, Andrew Lawrence, Jillian Rose Reed, and WWE’s The Bella Twins. His first book, Elephant: The 12 Things I Learned When I Ran For Office, will be published by Bear Manor Media, with a 2013 release date.
Miguel Ali graduated from Occidental College in 2004, studying Film, Environmental Science, and Education. He spent a year and a half teaching public school in the Los Angeles Unified School District at Franklin High School in East LA, teaching English and History to 10th and 11th graders while pursuing a Master's in the Arts of Teaching.
As an environmental scientist, Miguel Ali worked from 2002 to 2004 under Dr. James Sadd, assisting with research and reports submitted to the California State Government on environmental science and justice. He earned an MFA in Film Directing from Chapman University's Dodge College of Film in 2007.
Miguel Ali resides in Los Angeles, California, with his fiancée Jennie, their son Seneca, and their dogs, Deelya and Henry. Born in Colorado, he was raised across the western U.S., including California, Nevada, Washington, and Oregon.
Of Spanish and Pakistani-Indian heritage, Miguel Ali formerly used the surname Hasan until 2012 when he adopted the name Miguel Ali to honor his Spanish-Morisco roots, a lineage largely Jewish in origin. This change aligns with efforts to reverse the Inquisition and welcome Jewish and Muslim Moriscos back to Spain. "Miguel" honors Catholic activist Miguel De Luna, who opposed the Inquisition, while "Ali" is his mother’s chosen name. He practices an interfaith spirituality encompassing Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism.
While primarily focused on film directing, Miguel Ali remains politically engaged. A registered Democrat, he identifies as fiscally conservative and socially liberal. In 2010, he founded Constitutionalists For Gays & Immigrants, advocating for gay marriage legalization and citizenship for undocumented immigrants based on Constitutional principles.
An expert snowboarder, Miguel Ali is also known by his fiancée Jennie for cooking the best steaks in California.
20 wins and 5 nominations
