Moin Hussain (born 24 July 1992) is an English film director and writer. He was named a 2018 "Screen International" Star of Tomorrow. He is known for his debut science fiction feature "Sky Peals" (2023).
Early life.
Hussain was born in Tower Hamlets, East London to an English mother and a Pakistani father, both sculptors, and moved to King's Lynn, Norfolk at age 10. He also has Welsh heritage on his mother's side. His paternal grandfather was from the border region around Kashmir and served in the British Army before moving to England.
Hussain was interested in music growing up and played in local bands. He went on to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Cinema and Photography from the University of Leeds in 2014.
Career.
Upon graduating university, Hussain joined a Directors Guild trainee programme. He wrote and directed his first short film "Holy Thursday", with support from Creative England.
Hussain next directed the short horror film "Real Gods Require Real Blood", written by Tom Benn. It premiered at the 2017 Cannes Critics' Week. Hussain also co-wrote the short film "Noose", directed by Misha Vertkin.
Supported by Film4, Hussain's science fiction short film "Naptha" also featured at the 2018 Cannes Critics' Week. Hussain described "Naptha" as more personal than his previous work, inspired by his experiences as a teenager moving from London to Norfolk and working at a drive-thru.
Under the working title "Birchanger Green" and expanding on the themes and concepts in "Naptha", Hussain started developing his debut feature in early 2019. He wrote most of the script during the COVID-19 lockdown, incorporating the isolation of the time into it. "Sky Peals" opened at the 80th Venice Film Festival to critical acclaim.
Hussain has two projects in development, one set at a textile mill in 1970s Yorkshire and the other in World War II Burma.
Artistry.
Hussain named Wim Wenders and Stan Brakhage films, Steven Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977) and Todd Haynes' "Safe" (1995), and Éliane Radigue's music as influences on "Sky Peals".