Usama Alshaibi was born in Baghdad, Iraq, and spent his formative years living between the United States and the Middle East. He is a filmmaker and artist who works across documentary, fiction, and experimental cinema, often blurring the boundaries between them. His films have screened extensively at international and underground film festivals, museums, and media exhibitions, and have received support from organizations including the MacArthur Foundation, the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, the Playboy Foundation, and Creative Capital.
His first feature documentary, Nice Bombs, shot in Baghdad shortly after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, received a theatrical release in Chicago and New York and premiered on the Sundance Channel. His experimental narrative feature Profane received multiple awards, including Best Feature at the Boston Underground Film Festival. His second feature documentary, American Arab, premiered at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) and aired on PBS World Channel.
Alshaibi’s most recent feature, This Has Already Happened, conceived and produced during the height of the pandemic, received the Jury Award at the Pebbles Underground Film and Video Art Festival. His latest short documentary, Trip Ziggurat, was commissioned by Firelight Media in partnership with PBS and distributed by PBS Digital Studios.
Other notable works include Soon, The Desire, The Muslim Meme, Baghdad, Iowa, Allahu Akbar, Dream of Samarra, and Dance Habibi Dance.
He spent more than 17 years living in Chicago, where he worked as a media archivist at the Chicago History Museum and as a radio producer and host for Chicago Public Media. He is currently a professor at Colorado State University, where he teaches film production and film studies.
Artist Statement while the Earth Burns