Jumanah Shaheen is More Than the ‘First Saudi VFX Woman in Hollywood'

Saudi founder, partner and artist Jumanah Shaheen may be one of the first Saudi VFX women in Hollywood — but the headline is neither where her story begins nor ends. From graduating high school at 15 and moving from Saudi Arabia to study art in San Francisco, until now, as she focuses on local and global projects back home, what drives Shaheen's work is her desire for people to feel seen. It is that desire that guides her as a storyteller and a pioneer, creating spaces to platform global narratives.

Shaheen's career in the US is no secret. It is what dominates the articles that feature her: working as a visual effects (VFX) and animation producer across music videos with stars like Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and Shawn Mendes, TV shows such as ‘Euphoria’ and ‘Modern Family’, and films like 'Captain America: Civil War'.

Now, she is launching ventures that focus on authentic storytelling and non-traditional ideas in Saudi Arabia.

“With Saudi’s growing population and vibrant cultural scene, there’s never been a more important time to connect and create stories that resonate worldwide,” Shaheen told SceneNowSaudi.

She wished she had seen her own story on TV as a child navigating a dual upbringing between the United States and Saudi Arabia, feeling neither fully Saudi nor fully American.

“Every story shared becomes an opening for someone else to step forward with theirs,” she said.
It is in this context that Shaheen infuses personal narratives into every part of her work, specifically in claiming Saudi narratives from the Western pen that has written them for so long. 

Making It in Hollywood

Early in Shaheen’s career, her Saudi identity challenged stereotypes about who belonged in Hollywood. “When I first entered the music scene with successful productions, people questioned me: ‘You’re Saudi? How?’ They never expected someone like me to be there,” she said. “But by showing up, I played a part in changing the expectations of what this region can bring to the world.” Some colleagues even came to film in Saudi after working with Shaheen, something they had never considered before.

Even as an undergrad at the Academy of Art University, Shaheen worked on high-profile productions like ‘Theeb’, the first Jordanian film to become nominated for an Academy Award, and ‘Fruitvale Station’ (2013), written and directed by Ryan Coogler — “the movie that put Michael B. Jordan on the map,” Shaheen said.

These experiences opened doors for her. She moved to LA from San Francisco for a job on ‘Captain America: Civil War’. From there, she worked across studios on shows like ‘Arrested Development’ and ‘Black-ish’, plus music videos for artists like Billie Eilish, Selena Gomez, Shawn Mendes, Ed Sheeran, and Taylor Swift. She also worked in video games — her first release was ‘My Pet Hooligan’. Prior to that, she was the art director for Saudi company Lunacy Studios, where she developed a game that is currently being finalised.

Bringing the Spotlight to Saudi Arabia

In earlier features, Shaheen was often written about as the ‘First VFX Saudi Woman in Hollywood’. At the time, she wasn’t ready to go deeper than the cookie-cutter profile.

“How could I talk about wanting to tell my story when I still hadn’t created a place to tell that story?” she posited. Shaheen was focused on mastering her craft and sharpening her skills so that one day she could start her own companies that aligned with her vision, and tell her story on her own terms.

Shaheen has felt most aligned with projects connected to the Arab world, like the Saudi show ‘Jameel Jiddan’ (2022). This is where she saw her storytelling power shine through. Shaheen touched on a recent project that spoke especially deeply to her — a film about a mother experiencing postpartum depression, juxtaposed with the genocide in Gaza. This upcoming short, ‘Night Feeds’, written and directed by Rana Roy, stars Palestinian-Egyptian actress May Calamawy and is heading to festivals this year.

The film ignited an internal reckoning: “What have I consumed to normalise my people being killed on screen?” she asked herself.

After more than a decade in the US, Shaheen shifted her base from Los Angeles to Saudi to focus on building teams aligned with her vision of telling global narratives. What once felt like rejection became redirection, leading her to the community she now has. That shift reframed her purpose. 

“I’ve realised it was never about bridging East and West,” she said. “The real divide is within our own region, and my work is about closing those gaps. The gap I was feeling growing up wasn’t just between the US and Saudi, it was also here. People weren’t able to see me and I wasn’t able to see them because we felt so different from each other.”

Shaheen is determined to accomplish this mission from different angles and leadership positions. Along with coaching young talent in the region, Shaheen is also a partner at Black Women Animate (BWA), a New York-based studio that focuses on hiring minority creators in the United States. In Saudi Arabia, Shaheen serves as a VFX consultant for MBC Studios where she is particularly excited to be working on the film ‘Travelers’ Hell’, directed by Hana Al-Omair.

An Example for the Future

When asked for her advice to young professionals, Shaheen admitted that she doesn’t have the blueprint. In fact, she emphasised that she does not want young people to follow her example of endless 16-hour days, six days a week, for years.

“What is so incredible about Gen Z is that you guys are so direct about what you want, and I wish my generation was too. Maybe we wouldn’t be stuck in the 9-5’s that we hate,” Shaheen said.

She is sure that there is no one path, but that you have to follow your passion and curiosity to find your purpose. Only then will you want to work 16 hours a day.

“I left Saudi not having the space to share my story,” she said. “Now, there is that platform and support. This is the first time in history Saudi is opening up for people to share their stories.”