Aqsa Altaf is a Los Angeles based writer and director. She was raised in Kuwait by Muslim, Pakistani and Sri Lankan parents who were migrant workers. She immigrated to the US in 2013. She gravitates towards human stories that are told in a unique, cinematic way while staying true to the subject matter. 

She wrote and directed the Disney short film, AMERICAN EID, for Season 1 of the NAACP Image Awards nominated series Disney Launchpad. The film is now streaming on Disney+. Her films have premiered at festivals like SXSW and shortlisted for BAFTA Film Awards. She was nominated for the Young Director Award 2019 at Cannes Lions. 

Aqsa was selected by Riz Ahmed’s Left Handed Films and Pillars Fund as one of their 2022 Pillars Artist Fellow and was selected as Directing Mentorship Fellow for Ryan Murphy’s HALF Initiative. 

In addition to her narrative work, Aqsa also works in commercials and branded content space. She is currently developing her first feature and TV projects.