In 2016, AlBanawi was globally recognized for her debut in the award-winning, Saudi’s submission to the Oscars, Barakah Meets Barakah (2016). She has since created waves in the film industry with a range of roles; from a French aspiring actress in the 70’s with Roll’em (2019), to a confined woman in a global shutdown in Covid inspired mini-series AlShak (2020). From a heartwarming teacher of children with special needs Champions (2021), to a superhero fighting for survival in the empty quarter with the road-trip thriller Route 10 (2022), and from a psychologically troubled patient with postpartum depression in 60 Minutes (2021), to an avaricious wife of a billionaire in Saudi’s first 18+ box office hit AlHamour H. A. (2023). And from Egyptian comedy AlAmeel Sifr (2023), to the first 3-hour-long Saudi drama fantasy Fever Dream (2024), all the way to a life-savior of a mentally ill father in her first feature film screenplay and directorial debut Basma (2024).

AlBanawi aspires to shed light on an array of characters with a focus on diversity and originality, in an attempt to change the narrative most spread about women in her region, all the while safeguarding and utilizing the dramatic tones, local cinematic language, and global standards.

As the co-founder of an intimate Community Theater in Jeddah in 2010, AlBanawi wore a number of hats to bring a reflection of life onto the stage, meanwhile growing a passion for this means of expression. AlBanawi’s plans were altered when she could not pursue a degree in documentary film studies, but what happened was perhaps a better plan. Instead she graduated from Harvard University with a Masters degree in Theological Studies and extensive research on Arab identity and gender representation in both Cinema and Literature. This, along with her years of work at the Family Protection Society and expertise in philanthropy, created the plateau of subject matters that she became drawn to and would later pursue.

She was eager to write and direct her audiovisual essay, A Blink of an Eye (2018), as a product of her project, The Other Story. In (2019), her theater work as director and actress in The Straight Circle Play made headlines for surpassing the classic elite structure as she brought it to the streets of Historic Jeddah. She was then selected to write and direct her short fiction film, Until We See Light (2021), Red Sea International Film Festival’s first collective anthology Becoming (2021) that brings together films by five Saudi female directors. Not far from her character, AlBanawi went against all odds to create a 9 episode mini-series during the global lockdown, presenting a live case study of hope and innovation for filmmakers as she filmed it entirely from her very own home. AlShak (2020), which she co-wrote, co-directed, and starred in, still stands as a one of a kind Shahid Original show.

The year 2024 marked a turning point in AlBanawi’s career with her directorial debut, Basma, airing as a Netflix Original. Her screenplay has received great acclaim in stages of development, and was part of the first cycle of the Red Sea International Film Festival Lodge, a joint script development project with Torino Film Lab (2020). Her second feature film, Do Re Mimi, received five production awards during the 10th cycle of the Saudi Film Festival in Ithra (2024), while her series, Sajat, got accepted into the SRMG Episodic Screenwriters Lab Powered by NEOM (2024). AlBanawi is indeed shifting gears as we see her focus on crafting stories and producing them, but what acting role would be next for her remains a mystery.