Zaid Sater is a filmmaker and writer based between Los Angeles and Dubai, working across development, production, and directing.

He currently works in development at Rideback (Founded by Netflix Chairman of Film Dan Lin), an Academy Award– and Golden Globe–nominated production company behind films that have grossed over $7 billion worldwide.

Zaid is also the Founder & Creative Director of Obscura Films, a production company dedicated to championing diasporic voices and bridging Middle Eastern and Western storytelling. Through Obscura, he develops original projects and facilitates creative and financial collaboration across international markets.

His short film Mixed Signals—which he wrote, directed, and produced—follows a married Arab immigrant navigating identity and intimacy through an unexpected online encounter. The film stars George Shakour, Annalisa Plumb, and Sarah Himadeh, and has been officially selected at Oscar-qualifying festivals including HollyShorts Film Festival and the Chicago International Film Festival (CineYouth), as well as Calgary Arab Film Nights and the Arab American National Museum Film Festival.

Zaid also served as an Executive Producer on Dearborn, a sci-fi dramedy pilot and the first fiscally sponsored project by the Arab Film & Media Institute. The series premiered at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY), where it was Jury-Nominated for Best Episodic Project and won the Audience Award. It has since screened at SeriesFest, NewFilmmakers Los Angeles, and the Arab Film Festival, reflecting its growing recognition across both U.S. and international circuits.

Driven by a commitment to bold, culturally grounded storytelling, Zaid's work explores identity, masculinity, and diaspora through a contemporary, character-driven lens. His work has been highlighted by publications such as Gulf Daily News & Emerson Today.