Desire
Logline:
After the Lebanese banking crisis wipes out her family’s savings, a determined young woman - egged on by her wild best friend - ventures into unorthodox hustles to fund her mother’s chemotherapy, leading her into a world she never expected.
"Desire is deeply personal to me - it’s a story born from Lebanon’s financial collapse but rooted in themes of shame, survival, and self-reclamation that feel universal. This lab offers the rare chance to refine my script, pitch, and creative vision with expert mentorship while learning how to position the project for real industry impact. It’s an invaluable step in shaping Desire into the bold, authentic film I know it can become".
Natalie Ava Nasr
Danish-Lebanese filmmaker
Natalie Ava Nasr is a Saudi-born, Danish-Lebanese writer, director, and actor with a passion for bold, character-driven stories.
After earning her B.A. in Acting, Gender Politics, and Film Studies in Los Angeles—where she trained under Pulitzer Prize winner Beth Henley and worked with Tony Award winner Paul Sand—she relocated to London to continue her work across film, theatre, and television.
Her debut short film, Annie Shared Her Location (2020), which she wrote, directed, and starred in, won Best Short Film at Raindance Open Shorts Night and screened internationally before landing on streaming platform Argo.
Her follow-up short, Balls (2023), co-directed with Mike Davies, also received festival recognition. Most recently, she completed her first feature screenplay, The Girl in the Green Jumper (2024), inspired by the true story of Cyril and Renske Mann.
In addition to her writing & directing work, Natalie has appeared in projects for Sony (Horizon Forbidden West) and HBO (Avenue 5), and starred in Playground Theatre’s The Girl in the Green Jumper, which received an OffComm award, and more recently Gloria: A Life! alongside Stockard Channing.