Ahd Kamel is a Saudi filmmaker and actress based in New York. She studied Law at Columbia University, and then completed her BFA in Animation and Communication from Parsons School of Design, before obtaining a Directing degree from the New York Film Academy. Ahd then went on to study Acting under the personal tutelage of William Esper at the Esper Studio. She is best known for her starring role in the 2012's critically acclaimed and BAFTA nominee, Wadjda, which is Saudi Arabia's first feature film. Kamel started her film career in 2005 with three internationally successful short films that won prestigious awards. Her first lead role earned her the Golden Gate Award for Best Actress at the San Francisco International Film Festival. Ahd worked as Technical Advisor on Peter Berg’s The Kingdom. She was presented with a Cloeween Connection Award from Spike Lee, by the Abu Dhabi Authority of Culture and Heritage as an emerging Arab filmmaker.