SUE
OBEIDI

DIRECTOR, MPAC HOLLYWOOD BUREAU

Fortunately, we are experiencing a new kind of Golden Age in Hollywood. The movement for inclusion of all marginalized communities is changing the landscape of the industry before our eyes, and an influx of talent and fresh perspectives are energizing this powerful media. 

Since The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC®)’s Hollywood Bureau was launched in 2011, Sue Obeidi has blended the love of her faith with her love of film, television, and digital series to change and expand the narrative of Islam and Muslims in the entertainment industry.

Obeidi and her team ensure that The MPAC® Hollywood Bureau is a partner with the entertainment industry. Behind the scenes, Obeidi engages decision makers and creatives to improve the quality and number of authentic, nuanced, and inclusive presentations of Islam and Muslims so that audiences can see Muslims as vital contributors to creating social and cultural change in America and around the world. She also enriches the pool of Muslim talent in Hollywood by nurturing and connecting them to those who can assist with their careers, both on the creative and business sides of the industry.

In 2017, Obeidi was chosen for Variety's Inclusion Impact Report as one of 60 changemakers making the entertainment industry more inclusive. On the frontlines of media, Obeidi is a vibrant and fresh voice. Her poignant and passionate perspective appears in Op-Ed pieces for top industry publications such as Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and The Wrap. Obeidi has been a guest lecturer at American University, University of Southern California, and Georgetown University, and she has spoken on panels at the Sundance Film Festival, Variety Inclusion Summit, Variety Family TV Summit, Teen Vogue Summit, Women in Entertainment, Color of Change, and the Center for Asian American Media.

Obeidi is the “go-to” interviewee for perspectives on Islam and Muslims in the entertainment industry, having been quoted in many articles by national publications including, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Variety, TMZ, and The Hollywood Reporter. The MPAC® Hollywood Bureau has consulted on projects with The Walt Disney Studios, Disney/ABC Television, Paramount Studios, Amazon, Hulu, Legendary TV, Nickelodeon, CBS, NBC, Fox, FX, NatGeo, Starz, BBC1, and Participant Media, among others.

She is a self-professed couch potato at heart and a huge consumer of content. What attracts Obeidi to the entertainment industry are the stories being told. Obeidi always says, “Good stories can change hearts; changed hearts can change minds; and changed minds impact our values and can galvanize us into action.”

She has an MBA and B.A. in Marketing and has been with the Muslim Public Affairs Council since November of 2000.

Meet Our Speakers