Alazar Aklilu is an Ethiopian-American filmmaker whose work explores ambition, survival, and identity through moments of personal reckoning, where individual choice collides with circumstance. His work blends genre and social realism to create propulsive, character-driven stories where visual language heightens psychological and moral stakes.

​

Alazar's latest short film, Stride (2025), has screened at the Academy Award–qualifying Pan African Film Festival, as well as the Beverly Hills Film Festival, Micheaux Film Festival, and the British Urban Film Festival. He's currently focused on developing feature-length projects that balance tension, intimacy, and cultural authenticity, with the goal of creating stories that resonate beyond their immediate settings.