The director and screenwriter Shahad Ameen was born and grew up in Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia. She graduated in production and film studies from the University of West London and obtained a diploma in screenwriting. Her short film Eye & Mermaid (2013) was globally premiered at the Dubai International Film Festival 2013, it was selected for the competition at Toronto and Stockholm and won the Prize for the Best Film and Best Photography at the Abu Dhabi International Film Festival 2014. Her first feature film Scales premiered at Settimana della Critica of Venice 2019.