Film Biography
Aminah is an Australian writer/director with a focus on trauma recovery, women’s stories and examining male characters through a feminine lens. She has worked as a Research Assistant at the Department of Justice Crime Prevention Unit and a covert writer of witness statements, working alongside state and federal police. She spent many years on set as an Assistant Director, before establishing Sky Woman Productions in 2019.
Aminah’s projects have screened in numerous festivals throughout the US, Europe and Australia. In 2020, she was accepted as a member of the Australian Directors Guild and in 2021, she moved to Los Angeles, where she has worked on features for Disney, Pixar, Searchlight Pictures, Warner Bros, Universal, MGM, Paramount Pictures, Lionsgate, Sony Pictures and Netflix. In 2024 she became an invited member of the LA-based, Independent Writers Caucus. She has worked in Australia and the US as a Camera Operator in film, music videos and live concerts.
Aminah’s US directorial debut, a collaboration with American actor and musician, Dylan Kussman, premiered in September, 2022. A powerful piece written from the perspective of parents who have lost a child to gun violence, What Are We Fighting For (If Ain’t Love)? draws attention to the CDC’s determination that “firearms are now the number one cause of death for children in the United States” and acts as an offering to the families who are suffering, to give voice to those who need to be heard now more than ever.
She is currently in post-production with Kussman on their co-write WE CAN NEVER GO BACK, directed by Aminah and starring Kussman and Allelon Ruggiero. An 18 minute proof of concept, it is the first film the actors have appeared in together since playing Richard Cameron and Stephen Meeks, respectively, in Peter Weir’s DEAD POETS SOCIETY.
View her studio work on IMDB Pro.
Writer’s Statement
“I write because I want people to know that they no longer have to carry shame that does not belong to them. I want my audiences to feel the empowerment that comes with healing trauma through truth telling. I write to challenge the acceptance of unacceptable things, and because I am passionate about the interweaving of power and beauty in storytelling. My characters embody the tenet that true strength lies in gentleness – that at the root of all healing is the love and acceptance of self.”
Gallery
CURRENT PROJECT
CURRENTLY ON THE FESTIVAL CIRCUIT
REEL
RECOGNITION IN FILMMAKING
SOLACE (short) 2023 – as writer/director/producer/cinematographer/editor
2024: WINNER – Breathtaking Visuals Award, Valkyrie International Film Festival (Buffalo, NY); Official Selection – New York Lift-Off Film Festival, Revelation Perth International Film Festival, Tokyo Lift-Off Film Festival, Austin Lift-Off Film Festival, WA Made Film Festival. 2023: Nominee – Best Narrative Short, Montreal Women Film Festival
WHAT ARE WE FIGHTING FOR (IF IT AIN’T LOVE)? by Aminah Hughes and Dylan Kussman
(music video) 2022 – as writer/director/producer
2023: Official Selection – Los Angeles Independent Women Film Awards
TELL ME IT’S OVER by Aminah Hughes (music video) 2020 – as writer/director/producer
2022: Official Selection – Paris Lift-Off Film Festival, Austin Lift-Off Film Festival, Berlin Lift-Off Film Festival. 2021: London Lift-Off Film Festival, Los Angeles Lift-Off Film Festival, Toronto Lift-Off Film Festival, New York Lift-Off Film Festival, Tokyo Lift-Off Film Festival, Manchester Lift-Off Film Festival. 2020: Official Selection – Melbourne Lift-Off Film Festival; Exclusive Premiere – American Songwriter Magazine (Nashville)
I NEED TO LEARN by Aminah Hughes (music video) 2019 – as writer/director/producer
2022: Official Selection – Paris Lift-Off Film Festival, Austin Lift-Off Film Festival, Berlin Lift-Off Film Festival. 2021: Official Selection – London Lift-Off Film Festival, Los Angeles Lift-Off Film Festival, Toronto Lift-Off Film Festival, New York Lift-Off Film Festival, Tokyo Lift-Off Film Festival, Manchester Lift-Off Film Festival, European Cinefest Golden Nika (Prague). 2020: WINNER Best Director of Short Form Music Video, Vox Pop Award – Independent Music Awards (New York), Official Selection – Melbourne Lift-Off Film Festival. 2019: Official Selection – Revelation Perth International Film Festival, WAMFest Mini Music Video Festival; Exclusive Premiere – Musical Notes Global (New York)
NAF NAF by Steve Hensby Band (music video) 2019 – as writer/director/producer
2023: Official Selection – Austin Lift-Off Film Festival. 2022: Official Selection – Paris Lift-Off Film Festival, New York Lift-Off Film Festival, Toronto Lift-Off Film Festival. 2019: WINNER Best Video – Revelation: Perth International Film Festival; Official Selection – WAMFest Mini Music Video Festival
BLUE WOODEN BOAT by Aminah Hughes (music video) 2018 – as writer/producer
2022: Official Selection – Paris Lift-Off Film Festival, Official Selection – Austin Lift-Off Film Festival. 2021: Official Selection – London Lift-Off Film Festival, Los Angeles Lift-Off Film Festival, Toronto Lift-Off Film Festival, New York Lift-Off Film Festival, Tokyo Lift-Off Film Festival, Manchester Lift-Off Film Festival, Berlin Lift-Off Film Festival. 2020: Official Selection – Melbourne Lift-Off Film Festival. 2019: Official Selection – WA Unlocked Film Festival. 2018: SEMI-FINALIST Best Music Video – International Songwriting Competition Music Video Category (Nashville); Exclusive Premiere – Scenestr (Melbourne)
RECOGNITION IN WRITING
THE INSIDE OF A SHELL (feature screenplay)
2023-2024: Top 20% of discoverable projects on Coverfly. 2022: TOP 10% – The Academy Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting (LA). 2021: QUARTER-FINALIST – The Script Lab Free Screenplay Contest (LA).
WE CAN NEVER GO BACK (short screenplay) – co-write with Dylan Kussman
2024: Top 12% of discoverable projects on Coverfly; Quarterfinalist – ScreenCraft Short Screenplay Contest (LA); Semifinalist – Cinequest Screenwriting Competition (LA). 2023: Second Rounder – ScreenCraft Film Fund (LA)
THE RUBICON (short screenplay)
2018-2024: Top 1% of discoverable projects on Coverfly. 2021: #13 Drama Short of All-Time – The Red List; WINNER – Manchester Lift-Off Film Festival. 2020: WINNER – Melbourne Lift-Off Film Festival; SEMI-FINALIST – Cinequest Screenwriting Competition (LA). 2019: #12 Drama Shorts of the Year – The Red List; SEMI-FINALIST – Austin Film Festival Short Screenplay Competition, WINNER – Filmmatic Short Screenplay Awards (LA); FINALIST – Katra Film Series (New York), FINALIST – Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards, FINALIST – Hollywood Screenplay Contest, Official Selection – Florence Film Awards, Rome Prisma Independent Film Award. 2018: WINNER – ScreenCraft Short Screenplay Contest (LA).
THE YARD (short screenplay)
2023-2024: Top 12% of discoverable projects on Coverfly. 2020: FINALIST – California Women’s Film Festival, SEMI-FINALIST – ScreenCraft Short Screenplay Contest (LA), SEMI-FINALIST – Filmmatic Short Screenplay Awards (LA).
THE LOUNGE WITH AMINAH HUGHES (non-fiction vodcast)
2020-2021: #5 Other Podcasts of the Year – The Red List; #5 Other Podcasts of the Month – The Red List; QUARTER-FINALIST – ScreenCraft Podcast Writing Competition (LA)
