Syrian-Canadian filmmaker Amar Chebib began making videos while growing up skateboarding in the Persian Gulf. Cinematic and emotionally resonant, his work pushes the boundaries between genres and is rooted in themes of justice and transformation.

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His short hybrid doc, JOE BUFFALO, is about an Indigenous skateboarding legend and survivor of Canada’s notorious Indian Residential School system. It was executive-produced by Tony Hawk, won the Audience Award at SXSW, and was widely considered a contender for the 94th Academy Awards. His most recent short, THE RUNNER, is about an Indigenous 20-year-old who ran a 100-mile ultramarathon for mental health in his remote community. It was acquired by The New Yorker and promoted by Gabor Maté and Robin Arzón.

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Amar has directed for brands such as Square, Roblox, Walmart, Bank of America, and Beats by Dre. His work has been featured in publications like The New Yorker, Variety, Deadline, and InsideHook.