Laina Barakat

Board Member
she/her

Laina Barakat is an Independent Film Writer, Director and Producer. Her film career began with an internship for Either/Or Films during Post Production and Distributions of The Sensation of Sight (David Strathairn, Ian Sommerhalder, Jane Adams, Ann Cusak). The first film she produced, Only Daughter, premiered at Cinequest Film Festival and picked up various awards across the country including Audience Choice Award at New York No Limits, and NH Film of the Year at New Hampshire Film Festival. While working with Kingston Road Pictures in late 2015, Laina Associate and Line-Produced a documentary film in Grand Rapids Michigan called More Art Upstairs, which premiered at Hot Docs in 2017 and won the Audience Choice Award at Tribeca Film Festival.

Barakat formed Wayward Ark Productions in 2016 to take creative control of her projects, and empower young filmmakers in the Monadnock Region. She has written, directed and produced seven short films which have garnered awards including Audience Choice Award for Best Drama at New England Film Festival, Best NH Performance at NH Film Festival, the Judge's Award for Best Comedy at Iron Mule Film Festival, Audience Choice Award at MONIFF, and Best Shorter Short Comedy at London Comedy Short Festival.

Her first feature film as a director, Light Attaching to a Girl, premiered at RiverRun Film Festival, then went on to New Filmmakers New York. It is currently touring the festival circuit.

Laina co-founded and was Executive Director for the Monadnock International Film Festival during its first three years. She was also a founder of The Starving Artist, an artist collective in Keene, NH. She currently lives in Marlborough, New Hampshire and while balancing her film pursuits, she is the General Manager of 54 year old organization, Monadnock Music.