Fouad Mikati

Lebanese director Fouad Mikati made his way to motion pictures through an extensive career in television advertisements. A graduate of Lebanese International University, Mikati's resume includes European and Middle Eastern spots for telecommunications giant Areeba, as well as commercials closer to home for the Arab Satellite Communications Organization and Libyan mail service LibanPost. After relocating to Paris, Mikati's first attempt at non-commercial directing was the 2003 short film "Zead," in which actor Fabrice Robert is tormented by lustful visions of every woman he passes. Like many of Mikati's commercials, no dialogue is used to convey the plot, though the tone is darker than his glossy advertising work. In 2008, production began on Mikati's feature debut "Operation: Endgame," an offbeat action film about two groups of assassins doing battle against the background of President Barack Obama's inauguration. The unusual cast mixed veterans of screen mayhem such as actor Ving Rhames and model Maggie Q with comedians like Zach Galifianakis. Shot in a hurry to avoid a threatened Screen Actors Guild strike, the film received a token theatrical release before being dumped to DVD. In addition to his directorial work, Mikati is a devoted player of role-playing game "World of Warcraft."