Usama Alshaibi was born in Baghdad, Iraq and spent his formative years living between the United States and the Middle East. He’s an active filmmaker and artist, who works in documentary and fiction, often blurring the line between the two. His films have screened widely at underground and international film festivals, media exhibitions and museums. He’s received grants from organizations such as the MacArthur Foundation, the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, the Playboy Foundation, and the Creative Capital Foundation for the Arts. His first feature documentary, Nice Bombs, which was shot in Baghdad right after the start of the United States invasion of Iraq, had a theatrical release in Chicago and New York, and a broadcast premiere on the Sundance Channel. His experimental narrative film Profane won several awards, including best feature film at the Boston Underground Film Festival. His second documentary feature, American Arab, had its world premiere at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), and was nationally broadcast on television through PBS World Channel. He’s been producing and directing short films and music videos since 1998. Usama lived in Chicago for over 17 years and worked as a digital archivist at the Chicago History Museum, and as a radio host and producer for Chicago Public Media. Currently, Usama is a Teaching Associate Professor at Colorado State University.

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ABOUT TRIP ZIGGURAT

When Iraqi-American filmmaker Usama Alshaibi discovers a ziggurat in the mountains of his home state of Colorado, he begins a quest to understand how the unlikely monument relates to his ancestral homeland. Along the way, he connects with other Arab residents to explore their personal connections and experiences of the Mile High State.

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FILM

Trip Ziggurat

PROGRAM AFFILIATION

HOMEGROWN: Horizons

COHORT YEAR

2026

WEBSITE

usamaalshaibi.com

INSTAGRAM

@djinnisin