New Santa

Named one of Diversity in Cannes' Top 10 Filmmakers of the Decade, Zanah is a filmmaker (producer+ director+ writer) from Chicago, IL.

Since launching her brand, Zanah Thirus Productions, Zanah has shifted her focus to merging arts and activism through documentary and narrative storytelling. Her films explore subjects such as reproductive justice, local politics, intersectional feminism, and recovering from sexual trauma.

In 2020, Zanah’s documentary, ‘Unlearning Sex’, won Best Human Rights Film at the Toronto International Women's Film Festival and The Silver Award at the Spotlight Documentary Film Awards. Her documentary, ‘Black Feminist’, won Best Documentary at Coal City Film Festival (2021) in Nigeria, and the Jury Award for Best U.S. Documentary at the International Black & Diversity Film Festival (2021). Recently, Zanah branched into comedic storytelling with her romantic comedy short, ‘The Love You Want Exists’, which premiered at three Academy Award Qualifying Festivals in 2021 (Bronze Lens, Reel Sisters of the Diaspora, and St Louis International Film Fest).

Zanah’s current project ‘New Santa’ is slated to film in February 2022. The comedic short is set in the North Pole during a diversity, equity and inclusion overhaul, and a Black woman is appointed to the position of Santa Claus.

Outside of film festivals, Zanah’s projects have been distributed to over 20 academic libraries including Harvard University, and screened with various organizations including the American Public Health Association's national conference.

Zanah continues to write, produce, and direct projects that align with her overall mission of using film as a medium to drive social change.