Maji-da Abdi (an haife ta 25 ga Oktoba 1970) ta kasance daraktan fim na Habasha kuma furodusa. An haife ta a Dire Dawa, Abdi ya zauna a Addis Ababa har zuwa shekara huɗu. Bayan juyin juya halin 1974, mahaifiyarta, wacce ta saki mahaifinta, ta gudu tare da ita da dan uwanta zuwa Nairobi, Kenya. Abdi ta kammala karatunta na firamare da mafi yawan makarantun sakandare a Kenya. Tana da shekara 17, ta ƙaura zuwa Kanada tare da iyalinta don yin karatun kasuwanci. Shiga cikin Jami'ar Western Ontario, Abdi ya saba da al'adun duniya. Ta ji daban da yawancin abokan karatunta, waɗanda suke son su sami aiki a Wall Street, kuma sun gama shiri cikin littattafan Faransa. Bayan kammala karatu, Abdi ta yi aiki na tsawon shekaru a aikin jarida gami da shirya fim. Abdi tana tafiya a Nepal a cikin 1990s lokacin da ta sadu da Bernardo Bertolucci, wanda ke kan aikin daukar fim din Little Buddha . Ta yanke shawarar zama ƙwararren mai horarwa a kan saitin.