Biography
Lina Malaika is a Saudi filmmaker, writer, and creative director whose work bridges culture, storytelling, and visual artistry. She is the founder and CEO of Nisr Al-Arabi Films, a production house inspired by her late grandfather Jamil Malaika, who produced several films in Egypt during the country's golden age of cinema. Reviving the name, originally founded in the 1960s as Al-Nisr Al-Arabi, was a full-circle tribute to a man she never met but deeply connected with through their shared passion for filmmaking.
Lina wrote, directed, and produced her debut film "Maskoon", which premiered at the Red Sea International Film Festival in 2021 and was later selected for the Saudi Film Festival in 2022. The film's intimate and visually poetic storytelling established her as one of the rising voices in Saudi Arabia's new wave of filmmakers.
She co-directed the upcoming feature documentary "One Giant Leap" alongside Academy Award-nominated filmmaker David Darg, chronicling the story of the first Saudi female astronaut and the cultural significance of that historic mission. Lina also co-produced the official Saudi Expo Documentary, among various other narrative and documentary projects that highlight Saudi Arabia's evolving creative and cultural landscape.
Through Nisr Al-Arabi Films, Lina develops and produces original works while also providing creative consulting, cultural strategy, and visual direction for regional and international projects. Her practice combines storytelling with design, brand narratives, and cultural insight, bridging the worlds of art, film, and identity.
In addition to filmmaking, Lina often describes truth as her greatest passion. She believes that for too long, the narrative about Saudi women has been told on their behalf. Through her films and creative work, she aims to reclaim that voice, allowing Saudis, especially women, to tell their own stories with authenticity, depth, and artistic freedom.
In 2024, Lina was appointed Cultural Ambassador for Films That Move, an award-winning international film residency. She is developing its Saudi edition, set to launch in 2026, which will explore storytelling through movement, choreography, and visual expression in Saudi Arabia's historic and natural landscapes. Also, Lina's work and influence have been widely recognized both regionally and internationally. In 2025, she was selected by Forbes Middle East as one of the Voices of Impact, celebrating her contribution to shaping Saudi Arabia's creative and cultural renaissance.
Lina continues to play a leading role in shaping Saudi Arabia's contemporary film identity, preserving its heritage while re imagining how its stories are told to the world.
