Rayka Zehtabchi is a pioneering Iranian woman director and producer, celebrated for her work in both documentary and fiction. Her passion lies in crafting intimate, human stories that shed light on lesser-known social causes and communities.
Her Oscar-winning Netflix short film, Period. End of Sentence., tells the story of a group of village women in Northern India who start a sanitary pad-making business to improve feminine hygiene and de-stigmatize menstruation.
As a sought-after director in the advertising space, Rayka is represented by Prettybird, a top commercial production company recognized by Ad Age. Her long-form branded films include United O for the Special Olympics, A Woman's Place for KitchenAid, and They Came From All Over for Meta.
Her branded short documentary, Long Line of Ladies, made in partnership with P&G and The Pad Project, was distributed by the New York Times and awarded a Cannes Lion in 2023.
Outside of her branded work, Rayka's films Madaran, (SHn(y)oof),Just Hold On, Are You Still There?, have received numerous Vimeo Staff Picks and have screened and won Jury awards at festivals such as Sundance, SXSW, and AFI Fest.
In 2024, Rayka directed her first episode of television on the Netflix documentary series Chef's Table. She has also joined the Director's Guild of America and the Academy as a voting member in the short film branch. Her focus is now on developing her first narrative feature with Antigravity Academy in 2025.
As a versatile storyteller, Rayka continues to work in documentary and fiction, pushing the boundaries of each form with every project she helms.
