Anjini Taneja Azhar is a director and screenwriter based in Los Angeles. With a very early dream of becoming a writer and telling stories, her journey began as an actress at eleven years-old in network TV and feature films, such as JJ Abrams’ Star Trek Into Darkness, where she was permitted to observe Mr. Abrams’ direction on the film. Surrounded by visionary directing, bustling directors, and a labyrinth of light, Anjini immediately realized her hideaway in front of a blank page from her childhood of writing idle stories finally had a place in her life: cinema. She found her passion quickly, workshopping her craft as a director and screenwriter. At age sixteen, she began writing, directing, and producing. She’s written and directed multiple award-winning shorts, associate produced for renowned companies such as the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation and co-written features for companies like Zum Media.

She has been featured for her work in Forbes Entertainment, Women Cinemakers, and Ladygunn Magazine for her work thus far. Her 2023, ‘EVERYWHERE YOU GO,’ received its world premiere at the Oscar-qualifying LA Short’s Int’l Festival and Newport Beach Film Festival.

Anjini won the Grand Jury Award from the Shore Scripts Film Fund for her narrative latest short, ‘Who Are You, Nanu?’ which was filmed in May 2024 along the Ganges River in India on 35mm film, partnered with British Airways. The screenplay for ‘Who Are You, Nanu?’ earned Anjini a Barnstorm Finalist placement, WritersxWriters Finalist placement, Hollyshorts Screenplay Competition 2nd Place Win, and a spot on Coverfly’s Red List (#2 Script in Drama Shorts) amongst many other accolades. The film is currently awaiting its festival circuit.

She is a Golden Script Finalist and PAGE Awards Semifinalist. Anjini’s upcoming narrative film in which she co-wrote and is producing centering the Women, Life, Freedom movement of Iran has already received multiple screenplay competition placements, a private grant courtesy of ARRI Global, and is being Executive Produced by Cannes 2021 winner and ‘Holy Spider’ star/ producer Zar Amir Ebrahimi. She has a deep reverence for cinema, beginning her morning every day by watching a film.

rep: Danielle Lenniger, Luber Roklin