NYWIFT Blog

By Linden Standish

Welcome to NYWIFT, Yossera Bouchtia!

Yossera Bouchtia is an award-winning filmmaker and educator whose work explores memory, experimental storytelling, and the experience of the sublime. 

Her films span genres including magical realism, neorealism, biopics, drama, and experimental films. Drawing on her Moroccan-American upbringing, her storytelling bridges East and West, amplifying unheard voices and shedding light on unseen truths.

Bouchtia approaches storytelling as a practice of being – an invitation into consciousness, attention, witnessing, and deeper presence. She holds an M.F.A. in Film Directing from Columbia University and she is currently Associate Professor and Program Director of Cinema at VCU School of the Arts.

NYWIFT Member Yossera Bouchtia

Could you give our readers a brief introduction to yourself?

Hello! My name is Yossera Bouchtia, and I’m a filmmaker and educator currently based in Richmond, Virginia. I’m the Director of VCUarts Cinema Program, where I’ve spent the last decade mentoring emerging filmmakers. My film work also explores themes of cultural identity, duality, memory and the human need for connection and understanding. I’m also a meditator, which deeply informs both my creative process and my approach to teaching.

What brought you to NYWIFT?

I’m drawn to supporting women in filmmaking because I believe storytelling comes more naturally to women – our ability to empathize gives us a unique lens through which to see and share the world. I want more women to embrace their gifts and share their stories, because when we do, we create a more caring, connected world.

NYWIFT’s mission to champion women in film aligns perfectly with this vision, and I’m honored to be part of this community.

Having worked on many projects, is there one that stands out as particularly meaningful to you?

I have so many special memories – filmmaking is never easy, and it truly takes a village. But if I had to choose, my short film AFRI holds a particularly special place in my heart. It was the first time I fully surrendered to a project and allowed it to guide me along the way. Working with a very minimal script, I was fortunate to have an amazing crew who trusted me completely. The experience felt like we were making a film as a prayer.

Later, in the editing process, the magic of the film truly came alive for me – I discovered what it was really about. That discovery process, that openness to being surprised by your own work, remains one of my most cherished creative experiences.

How has your cultural background tied into your creative work?

Growing up straddling two cultural identities – Moroccan and American – I always saw things from a different vantage point. For a long time, I struggled with that dual perspective, but I’ve grown to embrace it as a superpower. My work often tackles the dualities of identity: the push and pull between belonging and otherness, home and diaspora.

For years, I told stories that aimed to reconcile differences and navigate what felt like cultural clashes. That exploration is still central to my storytelling today. I’m drawn to narratives that honor complexity and find beauty in the tensions we carry.

What compelled you to become an educator in film? Do you think this experience has impacted your directorial voice?

I feel called to teach – to mentor and guide those who have stories they long to share with the world. Storytelling is a generous act, and helping students nurture their ideas into distinct expressions of who they are is such a fulfilling process. It’s much like a gardener taking tender care to witness her garden bloom.

Teaching has absolutely impacted my directorial voice. I draw tremendous inspiration from my students – getting to know their struggles, anxieties, loves, hopes, and dreams helps me deepen my own work and clarify the impact I want my films to have on the world. They remind me why storytelling matters.

What is your creative process?

My process begins as an inward journey. I find that my deepest ideas are always aiming to connect with a need in the world – a need to understand oneself more fully. This begins when I meditate, which is a foundational part of my creative practice. In the silence and stillness, I find answers to my deepest questions and clarity about what I need to share.

I’m also deeply collaborative. I love inviting others into my process as we grapple together with the truth of a film and the themes at stake. The best work emerges from that collective wrestling with meaning.

What are you currently working on, or hope to in the future?

I’m finishing up a short film based on Abdelkhabir Khatibi’s novella Amour bilingue, which explores themes of linguistic and cultural identity.

I’m also developing a feature-length horror film titled Yasmine/Jasmine about a young woman confronted by her doppelgänger ghost. It’s a psychological exploration of identity, displacement, and the parts of ourselves we unconsciously leave behind but can never quite escape.

Connect with Yossera on Instagram at @yos.films, her website www.yossera.com, and on Substack yossera.substack.com  

(All photos courtesy of Yossera Bouchtia)