‘Nayla knows a thing to two about breaking boundaries: she is the first Emirati woman to succeed in the male – dominated world of film directing and producing. Her films have been screened at over 42 film festivals around the world and have been honoured with awards at the Dubai International Film Festival, Florence Middle East Film Festival and Abu Dhabi Film Festival. She is also the foubder and director of D – Seven, whose aim is to produce commercial feature films in the Middle East. ” I am inspired by the growing society, endless learning and stories from different people.” she says. Adding that through her films, she hopes to ” showcase our culture, the beauty of my country, and to bring people closer.”