Zara Burdett is an LA-based writer, director and producer born in London UK to bohemian Italian Jews and eccentric Russian Armenians. She spent her childhood following her architect/designer parents around Europe, visiting beautiful public spaces and stunning interiors which awakened her to the power of visual imagery and creative collaboration.

A highly sensitive and emotional kid, Zara found solace in the movies. She began writing plays and acting from a young age, before graduating in History from NYU in 2009 where she was mentored by the late public intellectual and historian, Tony Judt. She pined for a career in film, however, and began assisting Darren Aronfosky and Rachel Weisz in London and New York before her mind was blown working as a production assistant on Aronofsky’s Black Swan by the creativity and craftsmanship of auteur-driven filmmaking.

Zara spent several more years working for Aronofsky’s production company, Protozoa Pictures, as an assistant and development executive before branching out to make her own short film, Hands, which won the best director award at the Madrid International Film Festival in 2015.

Eager to be back on set, Zara relocated to Southern Italy to First AD reshoots on Jonas Carpignano's second feature, Mediterranea, before returning to London to join the production team on Wes Anderson's stop motion film, Isle of Dogs. In 2016, she wrote, directed and produced her second short film, Maneater, which premiered at the Raindance Film Festival and won the Stage 32 Best Short Film award.

In recent years, Zara fell in love with California and moved to LA to be close to her growing, international indie-film family and commit more fully to the filmmaker life. In 2020, she wrote, directed and produced the viral comedy/body-horror short, TAMPOO, which earned her top-level representation with Jordan Lonner at UTA, Roxana Adle at LARK Management (UK) and Paul Young and Devon Young at MAKE GOOD Content.

In 2019, curious for some experience in the burgeoning world of prestige TV, Zara assisted the writing team on Jordan Peele's The Twilight Zone remake for CBS, leading to a freelance staff writer/Writer’s Assistant position on Dan Harmon's highly anticipated animated series, Krapopolis, which will be released on Fox next year.

Zara is currently developing her debut directorial feature - a satirical thriller set in an all women’s yoga retreat. She is committed to creating female-driven content for a wide audience via deeply personal, human stories, told through her uniquely satirical, elevated and heartfelt lens.

Zara has a particular passion for cooking, conversation, current affairs and the Enneagram. She lives in a Cypress Park bungalow with her cherished and kind husband, Tim.