Two alumni share their passion for telling diverse stories

Born and raised in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Nayla Al Khaja, Image Arts ’05, was always passionate about the arts but never expected to become the trailblazer she is today. As the first-ever female director and producer in the UAE, she is widely recognized internationally for her work in films. 

But her passion for film was a slow burn, initially overpowered by her love of the fine arts.

“I had a burning desire to be a painter, and I loved doing oil on canvas paintings,” Al Khaja recalled. “I was 19 when I decided that I'm pursuing film.”

After launching Nayla Al Khaja Films (external link, opens in new window)  in 2005, Al Khaja has gained experience across multiple media formats including screenwriting, narrative films, documentaries, web series’ and reality shows. Her hard work has earned her multiple awards including Businesswoman of the Year at the Gulf Business Awards, Best Female Filmmaker at the Dubai International FIlm Festival, and Best UAE talent for her film The Shadow at the Al Ain Film Festival in the UAE. Despite her success so far, Al Khaja says she is just getting started. 

“I have crossed many massive milestones and worked with a lot of incredible clients and celebrities, but my ultimate dream would be to watch my feature film in a cinema where I'm like ‘Oh wow, they just bought a ticket to watch my movie!’”

And that dream is not far off with her debut feature film, Three — about mental health and how far a mother would go to save her child — currently in the works and on track for international distribution.

With over a dozen short films and documentaries under her belt, Al Khaja credits her time in Toronto Metropolitan University's Image Arts program for advancing her career.

“Everything I have learned there has helped me be who I am today,” she says. “It was a very rich program that made your brain function in different ways. It was very hands-on, pragmatic, and it was the perfect fit for me.’

‘I wanted to tell my people’s story’

More importantly, Al Khaja's education equipped her with the skills she needed to carry out a personal mission of hers — to go home to the UAE and tell stories through her lens. Showcasing her people and culture and sharing stories breaking away from stereotypes associated with Arab women and culture.

“I just want to create something beautiful at home,” she said. “I want to tell my people’s story because it’s always been others like the West telling our stories, and I believe Arabs should be telling Arab stories.”

Al Khaja’s commitment to sharing diverse stories that accurately represent the people they're portraying is shared by fellow graduate Sid Naidu, Arts and Contemporary Studies ’10.

Naidu is a documentary photographer known for his passion for international development and using art to create a social impact. Born in the Gulf region, of Indian descent but raised in Scarborough, Ontario, his passion is informed by his experiences as a first-generation immigrant who calls many places home.

Driven by a love of storytelling, he partnered with fellow graduate and Scarborough native Alex Narvaez, Radio and Television Arts ’10, to share the stories from the community they grew up in via their project Scarborough Made (external link, opens in new window) .

“We both felt that Scarborough has not been represented well in the media,” Naidu said. “So, we thought, how do we change that? And we started by documenting stories in the community that we knew showed the resilience and the humanity that exists here.”

Naidu first picked up photography in high school and what started as a hobby quickly became a passion and career.

“I never thought of the camera as more than a tool, and funny enough, I got my first paid gig for photography at Toronto Metropolitan University,” he recalled. “I was shooting the multicultural show, and that was when I said, ‘Okay, you can get paid for this.’”

Today, he is the Founder and Creative Director of SNCD Media (external link, opens in new window)  (pronounced ‘synced’), combining his passions for international development, community building and the arts. He has won multiple awards, worked with the City of Toronto, and had a project featured in Nuit Blanche, Toronto's all-night contemporary art event.

“The work that I'm doing right now is heavily influenced by being able to build with spaces in underserved communities,” Naidu said. “Even when I’m applying for grants, it takes on a very strong international development lens even though its focus is here locally in Scarborough.”

Naidu shows no signs of slowing down on his mission to create positive change through art. A Scarborough Made installation will go up this fall as part of the City of Toronto's Year of Public Art. Additionally, he and his business partner will be working with Toronto Arts Council and students from The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University to develop digital solutions that will help champion storytelling in underserved communities.

“I don't see myself as just an artist. I see myself as a change-maker and an aspiring humanitarian,” Naidu said. “For me, art is a good tool to connect, build community and bring people together.”