MAAC is a full service consultancy. We advise on film, television and video game projects that require cultural authenticity for Middle Eastern, North African and South West Asian storylines.
DISRUPT & ADVANCE
After ten years of service, building and educating on the creation of the MENA & MENASA category in entertainment. MAAC has now transitioned to a consultancy-only model. Along with a team of academic experts, we advise streamers, networks, film, and video games to create accurate and authentic Middle Eastern, North African, and South West Asian, MENA-SWANA portrayals. Our history and success speak for themselves.
78%
of MENA characters on television are portrayed as trained terrorists/agents/soldiers or tyrants, exacerbating the stereotype of MENA persons as threats.
per “Terrorist & Tyrants” Study presented by MAAC.
0 0 0
ZERO MENA Leads in Film
ZERO MENA Female Film Writers
ZERO MENA Female Film Directors
We have spearheaded all research for MENA artists beginning in 2018. Regardless of the advocacy, in 2024 UCLA reported similar numbers showing the lack of growth for MENA-SWANA artists both in front of and behind the camera.
92
out of the top 100 films in 2019 had no Middle Eastern North African (MENA) females in them. Complete erasure of women-of-color on screen can be seen across all racial/ethnic groups measured, whilst white females were only erased from 7 movies.
The Epidemic of Invisibility in Film, per USC Annenberg’s Impact Report
MENA-SWANA ACCELERATION LABS
A first of its kind lab to provide aspiring to mid-level MENA-SWANA creatives with the opportunity to gain industry insights, artistic tools, foster community support, and more; featuring expert led panels and hands-on workshops.
Our Impact
Our Impact is far and wide. Little did we know that, in 2017, when we successfully lobbied MENA to the SAG-AFTRA-AMPTP contracts, the term would become the industry standard for finally defining our communities as diverse and helping us demand inclusion. Adding the MENA hiring category enabled us to show, in complex data, how we’ve been portrayed on screen. Presenting the 1st study of MENA representation on Television was a call to action for all executives, showrunners, writers, and studios to do better. Our data has been used globally in conversations around the harsh reality of on-screen portrayals of MENA performers. Our lobbying efforts have prompted major universities and researchers to begin measuring MENA representation on screen, launched various MENA and MENASA clubs across the US, and inspired MENA Arts advocacy groups in the UK and Canada. Helped launch the WGA’s writers’ committee and created MENA recognition in the Academy’s hiring standards and practices for the OSCARS!
*Please note: This graphic was created in 2019 and advised on by several academics who advised on the MENA category for the US Census. MAAC is not responsible for defining the region, or what is included in US data reporting. Since 2022, MAAC has aligned more closely to the term SWANA.
Our Story
In 2014, during a pilot table read at a major television network, our founder, Azita Ghanizada, faced a stark reality: she was labeled as white. This labeling created a conflict for the show she was cast in, as they had to report diversity hires, and she was among the few. Azita made it clear that she hailed from South/Central Asia and could rightfully be counted as Asian. However, her Middle Eastern appearance did not conform to traditional expectations, highlighting a glaring oversight in the industry’s hiring practices and the inclusion of individuals from her region.
Refusing to accept this status quo, Azita took decisive action. She researched the lack of support for Middle Eastern North African (MENA) performers. She quickly realized that Hollywood lacked any organization dedicated to protecting, serving, and advancing their interests. This realization was the catalyst for the creation of MAAC. from South/Central Asia and could, luckily, be counted as Asian. But her Middle Eastern appearance did not look Asian at first glance, and Azita knew there was a major blind spot in the hiring and inclusion of people from her part of the world. She immediately went home to research who could assist her with this and quickly learned that there were no organizations in Hollywood that specifically protected, served, and advanced the interests of Middle Eastern North African (MENA) performers, so MAAC was born.
