Today we’d like to introduce you to Maissa Houri

Hi Maissa, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.

I grew up always wanting to be a performer. I did all the school plays and talent shows. I was a producer before I knew what producing was! I was organizing shows as well as performing in them. Fast forward many years later, after getting into acting professionally, I realized how competitive it was and how parts for a Middle Eastern women were very few and far between so I started to create work for myself and others by writing, producing and directing. Eventually, I realized how much I wanted to help others grow in the industry and joined the board of a filmmakers’ festival. I felt really pulled into really wanting to grow the film community in my city and help get filmmakers and actors opportunities. I’m still acting and creating and trying to evolve my work to a bigger scale.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

The film industry is a very difficult road. Everyone’s path is a different one. I’ve been in pre-development for a tv series I created for four years and currently pitching to big streamers and they are all risk-averse so it’s pretty difficult to sell something they’ve never seen before. I think that’s the current climate of the film industry. People aren’t going to the movies because they aren’t seeing anything new and exciting being released and the major studios are too scared to invest in new ideas. So, for filmmakers or tv creators, it’s been a difficult few years.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?

I really love to be seen as a community builder as well as an artist. I really take pride in the work that I have done for the filmmakers’ festival that I’m part of. I’m the Director of Equity Initiatives and I organize industry panels and workshops for underrepresented groups so they get fair and equitable opportunities to develop their skill set. And as a filmmaker and actor, I love to create work that represents me as an Arab-Canadian woman. Challenge stereotypes and all.

What are your plans for the future?

Even as an actor and filmmaker, I still work a 9-5 job and I’m a mother! I currently have my hands full but I am looking to make the leap into a creative career full time and leave the corporate 9-5 world behind!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.maissahouri.com
• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/maissa_houri
• Facebook: https://Facebook.com/maissahourifilm

Image Credits

Zac Emery Photography
Ramy Raphaël
Amica Hewitt
Krista Marchand
Yahya Syed