HAMMAD ZAIDI

Hammad Zaidi – Founder & CEO

Hammad Zaidi founded The Lonely Seal Company Group, Lonely Seal Releasing The Lonely Seal International Film, Screenplay & Music Festival Lonely Seal Streaming, and Hourglass24. Most recently, he accepted positions to serve on the Board of Directors of Cinema Without Borders and the Advisory Board of the new Masters in Entertainment Leadership and Management—MELM—at Loyola Marymount University (LMU). 

Zaidi is an award-winning member of The Producers Guild of America and served as a member of the Video Game Caucus for the Writers Guild of America during its existence.  

Hammad has produced, written, and directed many films and media content over the last 30 years. These include executive producing several feature films, documentaries, and 29 video games, creating and hosting Limping On Cloud 9, a successful podcast about his life that is being developed as a motion picture, and writing nearly 300 published articles for Going Bionic, his film distribution, and his career strategy column. 

Hammad also created the concept for “Ogreachiever,” a national Shrek-based billboard campaign designed to inspire children to achieve. He won a Telly for writing “Generosity,” a national PSA, and he wrote, produced, and directed “Champions of Hope,” a White House-endorsed national PSA made for the first anniversary of September 11. Champions of Hope played on 5,001 theatrical screens, television networks, and major sporting arenas. It was paid for by Disney and Verizon and released theatrically by Regal Cinemas. 

Zaidi has been a jury member, filmmaker advisor, curator, panelist, advisory board member, and world cinema screener at several major film festivals, such as Sundance, SXSW, Slamdance, and many more.  Hammad has served as an adjunct professor, guest lecturer, and panelist at several universities, including but not limited to his alma mater UCLA, USC, Vanderbilt, Chapman, Avila, The Watkins Film School (acquired by Belmont University), San Diego State, The University of Kansas, The University of Missouri, and numerous others. Hammad Zaidi received his Master of Fine Arts from the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television 1994.  

Lonely Seal Facebook Page

Limping On Cloud 9 Facebook Page

Hammad Zaidi’s LinkedIn Page

Hammad Zaidi’s IMDb Page

DIRECTING

Zadi directed “Baptized at Lucky Lucky Lube,” a short played in 28 festivals in six countries (United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, England, and France). He was featured on Ain’t It Cool News and earned a spot as one of only six directors chosen for “Tennessee Film Night” at the 2001 Nashville International Film Festival. 

Hammad Zaidi helmed “Champions Of Hope,” a September 11th related Public Service Announcement for the first anniversary of 9/11. The project was endorsed by the White House, paid for by Disney and Verizon, and distributed by Regal Theaters on 5,001 theatrical screens. It aired on major television networks and played at several sports arenas. As a result, an estimated 650,000-1,000,000 children engaged in community service, making it one of the largest youth mobilizations in American history. This project also earned an article on Ain’t It Cool News. 

Hammad directed the pilot to Pet Divorce Court.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Xep_C7JjiWU%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Hammad has been directing a 20+ year shoot for his mockumentary, “The Fate Escape.” The clips below feature Academy-Award-winner Olympia Dukakis, former Los Angeles Laker Kareem Rush, and Dee Caruso, Hammad’s screenwriting professor at the UCLA Graduate School of Film.