Rana Kazkaz, a Syrian-American, currently lives with her family in Jordan, having left Damascus as a result of the ongoing Syrian conflict. Kazkaz holds an MFA in Acting from Carnegie Mellon University/Moscow Art Theatre and attended the Directing Workshop for Women at the American Film Institute. She is the writer and director of four short films including 'Mare Nostrum' (2016). She is currently working as a story editor and co-producer on two feature-length documentaries.