Colette Ghunim

As a documentary filmmaker and nonprofit co-founder, Colette Ghunim’s passion lies in the cross-section of social impact and visual storytelling. Her first documentary, The People’s Girls (2016), received over 2 million views and won Best Short Documentary at the Arab Film Festival for its bold spotlight on street harassment in Egypt. As part of the Hulu/Kartemquin Accelerator Program and the 2020 BAVC MediaMaker Fellowship, she is directing Traces of Home, her first feature-length film documenting her journey back to Mexico and Palestine to locate her parents' original homes, which they were forced to leave decades ago. Colette's work has been highlighted on international outlets such as Huffington Post, Al Jazeera, Univision, and TEDx. She was named 2020 Filmmaker of the Moment by Newcity’s Chicago Film 50 List and was listed on Arab America’s “30 Under 30” list. Colette is also the co-founder of Mezcla Media Collective, a nonprofit organization that elevates nearly 700 women and non-binary filmmakers of color in Chicago.