Gardaí

Ashraf Nahlous (born January 31, 2001, Syria) is a Dubai-based writer-director creating dialogue-driven, character-forward stories across short films and short-form narrative series.

His short film This Is Love Too received multiple awards and nominations, with coverage from Khaleej Times and a feature on Met Radio’s Morning Mixtape. He made his directorial debut with Are You the Rat?, a neo-noir short designed as a proof-of-concept for his feature project Yet… Another Gangster Movie. He also created The Dubai Tapes, a branded series of cinematic short-form skits produced with a 20+ person cast and crew.

In 2026, Nahlous founded the Dubai Creatives Community Program, a grassroots filmmaking network in Dubai that has grown to 300+ members. The program produces fast-turnaround short projects, completing four productions in two months while building an ongoing pipeline for emerging actors and crew to collaborate, develop craft, and earn screen credits.

He is currently developing Kingston, a vertical micro-drama series described as “Succession meets Suits,” alongside projects including The Man Who Knows Everyone and Dear Devil, Hope You’re Doing Well. Beyond film, he wrote the narrative for Ocean Quest VR, an immersive experience commissioned by the University of Salford, recognized with Excellence in Virtual Reality (MediaCity UK) and a Highly Commended mention at the Signature Awards 2025.