Hakim Belabbes is a Moroccan-American independent filmmaker. He was born in the Moroccan town of Boujad, where his father owned the only movie theatre. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in American and African literature in 1983 from Mohamed V University in Rabat, Morocco, and a graduate degree in film and video from Columbia College in Chicago, where he now teaches film direction and production. Belabbes has produced and directed more than 10 films and received several awards.