# Ali Zamani

Ali Zamani (born 11 October 1980) is a film director and writer. He is the founder of AZ Filmz, a film, commercial and music video production company.

## Early life and education

Ali Zamani was raised in Gothenburg, Sweden. By the age of twelve, he had directed his first short film—a martial arts movie in which he also starred, with his mother serving as the cinematographer.
During his teenage years, Zamani actively participated in theater and drama classes. He pursued formal education in filmmaking, earning a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Video Production from Bournemouth University in 1999. He then obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Film, Video, Media, and Society from Northbrook College, Sussex, in 2002. While at Northbrook, one of his short films was selected for screening at the Duke of York's Cinema in Brighton.
Zamani moved to the United States, where he earned a master’s degree in mass communication and Screenwriting from California State University, Northridge, in 2004.

## Career
### AZ Filmz and early work

While being a student at Northbrook College, Zamani founded AZ Filmz in 1998. The company was officially registered as an LLC in 2004 after he completed his graduate studies. AZ Productions focuses on producing artistic, films and music videos that capture youth culture and real-life stories. The company also supports emerging musicians by creating professional-grade music videos to enhance their careers.

### Music videos and commercials

Zamani has directed over 300 music videos for prominent artists, including Snoop Dogg, Enrique Iglesias, T-Pain, Lil Wayne, French Montana, Drake, and P. Diddy; Sean Kingston, Baby Bash, Faith Evans.
Zamani expanded into commercial directing, working with major brands such as Luxor Casino Hotel, LG, Black Mask Rum, and H2 Rose. His 2012 commercial The Comeback Kid for Luxor Casino and the music video Love Like Magic received Silver Davey Awards in the Film/Video/TV and Music Video categories.

### Feature films

Zamani transitioned into feature filmmaking, with his projects being distributed by major studios such as Lionsgate. His debut feature film, Opus of an Angel, was a personal project developed over three years. The film, starring William McNamara and Kaylynn Kubeldis, tells the story of a grieving cardiologist who finds new purpose after meeting a blind girl. Zamani worked with Junior Blind of America to cast an authentic blind actress for the role, ultimately selecting Kubeldis. The film premiered at multiple international festivals, winning several awards before its digital release on July 28.
Following Opus of an Angel, Zamani directed Angels Fallen, an action-adventure film starring Michael Madsen and Nicholas Turturro, shot in Macedonia. A sequel, Angels Fallen: Warriors of Peace, was released in 2024, featuring Cuba Gooding Jr., Denise Richards, and Randy Couture. Angels Fallen: Warriors of Peace reached the top spot on the Amazon Prime Movies chart in November 2024 and held the position for three weeks in the U.S.

## Notable works
### As director

* Angels Fallen: Warriors of Peace (2024)
* C.I.Ape (2022)
* Twisted Little Lies (2021)
* Incision (2020)
* Hacked (2020)
* Angels Fallen (2019)
* Opus of an Angel (2017)
* EuroClub (2016)
* Maul Dogs (2015)

### As writer

* Angels Fallen: Warriors of Peace (2024)
* Opus of an Angel (2017)

### As producer

* The Last Exorcist (2020)
* Escape: Puzzle of Fear as executive producer (2020)
* Coven (2020)
* American Exorcism as executive producer (2017)

## Accolades

Ali Zamani received two Silver Davey Awards (2012) for The Comeback Kid and Love Like Magic. His film Opus of an Angel won Best Director and Best Screenplay at the World Music and Independent Film Festival (2019), Best Dramatic Film at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival (2018), and several other honors, including Best Ensemble Cast and Awards of Merit for its themes. His film Hacked won Best Film at the Andromeda Film Festival (2020). Zamani’s work has also received multiple nominations at festivals such as Route 66, Monarch, and the Catholic Film Festival.