Wikipedia

Draft:Hali Zebede

  • Comment: The text is AI-generated so will need cleaned up prior to consideration. Also, the person falls within WP:FILMMAKER but still needs coverage that talks about them, not just mentions along with the projects they were involved in. I cannot locate anything that is specifically about them. CNMall41 (talk) 23:54, 27 April 2026 (UTC)


Michal Zebede
Born
United States
Other nameHali Zebede
EducationCornell University (BA)
OccupationsWriter, director
Years active2009–present
Known forThe Humbling
Party of Five
ASPIREist

Michal "Hali" Zebede is an American screenwriter, director, and producer. She is known for co-writing the Philip Roth adaptation The Humbling (2014), directed by Barry Levinson and starring Al Pacino and Greta Gerwig, and for her work as co-executive producer and writer on the Freeform drama series Party of Five (2020). She also co-created and directed the docuseries ASPIREist (2016–2017), which won the Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Innovation.

Early life and education

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She grew up in Miami, Florida. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Cornell University with degrees in Cognitive Science and Narrative Arts.[1] Before moving to Los angeles to pursue a career in film and television, she worked as a freelance investigative journalist for Haaretz, Israel's oldest daily newspaper, covering subjects including refugees and human rights issues.[1]

Career

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Film

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Her screenwriting debut came through co-writing the screenplay for The Humbling (2014) alongside veteran screenwriter Buck Henry (The Graduate). The film, directed by Barry Levinson and based on the 2009 Philip Roth novel of the same name, stars Al Pacino as an aging stage actor in psychological decline, with Greta Gerwig, Dianne Wiest, Charles Grodin, and Kyra Sedgwick in supporting roles. The film screened in the Special Presentations section of the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival[2] and in the Out of Competition section of the 71st Venice International Film Festival.[3][4][5] RogerEbert.com noted that the script from Henry and Zebede contained "many moments of intelligent humor and absurd observation."[6]

Television

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Zebede's television writing credits include ABC's primetime drama Castle and Marc Cherry's cable series Devious Maids.[1]

The 2020 Freeform reboot of Party of Five, centres on the five Acosta children after their parents are deported to Mexico.[7][8][9] For her, the timing of the reboot was inseparable from its purpose. "This is an opportunity to really get into the perspective of a group of people in this country that has been marginalized," she told The New York Times, "and just show they are people, too."[10] The series garnered a 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Docuseries and directing

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Zebede co-created and directed ASPIREist, an original docuseries that originated on the USA Network before moving to CNN's HLN for its second season in 2017. Produced by 60 Minutes veterans Shawn Efran and Max McClellan, the series profiled celebrity activists and social entrepreneurs working on issues including human rights, gender equality, and environmental causes. Guests included George Clooney, Zoe Saldana, Ben Affleck, Adrian Grenier, and Russell Brand.[11] The series received recognition from the digital journalism industry, winning four EPPY Awards in 2016[12] and won the Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Innovation.[13]

Her short film New Eden (2023), written and directed by herself and shot by cinematographer Rafael Leyva, stars her Party of Five co-stars Emily Tosta and Niko Guardado in a five minute thriller exploring artificial intelligence and human disconnection. The film was an Official Selection at the Los Angeles International Film Festival and the San Francisco IndieFest.[14]

Development projects

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In late 2022, AMC Networks announced it was developing Queen of the Jungle, an original television series drama created and executive produced by herself and The Oscar nominated Michael London executive producing via his Groundswell Productions banner. Set in Costa Rica, the series follows the estranged granddaughter of a family that controls a luxury eco-hotel empire, whose grandfather's death unravels a dark family history.[15]

She is the writer and director of Cuba, Paraíso, a romantic-thriller-drama following a Miami art dealer caught up in the aftermath of the 2021 Cuban Revolution,[16] which she has described as exploring the human connection crisis driven by digital overload.[17] The film is currently in production in Puerto Rico, with a cast including Alex Fitzalan, Rafael de la Fuente, and Courtney Clarke. With the project under fiscal sponsorship at The Film Collaborative.[18]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2014 The Humbling Screenplay Co-written with Buck Henry; based on the novel by Philip Roth
2023 New Eden Writer, director Official Selection: Los Angeles International Film Festival 2023
TBA Cuba, Paraíso Writer, director Inspired by true events.[19]

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2013 Castle Writer Episode role
2014 Devious Maids Writer Episode role
2016–2017 ASPIREist Creator, director, executive producer HLN; Edward R. Murrow Award winner
2020 Party of Five Co-executive producer, writer Freeform; 97% on Rotten Tomatoes

Accolades

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Year Award Category Result Ref.
2016 EPPY Award Best Collaborative Investigative/Enterprise Reporting Won [12]
2016 EPPY Award Best Innovation Project on a Website Won
2016 EPPY Award Best Community Service on a Media-Affiliated Website Won
2016 EPPY Award Best Investigative/Enterprise Video Won
2017 Edward R. Murrow Award Excellence in Innovation Won [13]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 "About — ASPIREist". ASPIREist.
  2. ↑ Punter, Jennifer (22 July 2014). "Toronto Film Festival Lineup". Variety.
  3. ↑ "Venice Film Festival Reveals Lineup for Its 71st Edition". Variety. 24 July 2014.
  4. ↑ "Al Pacino on Buck Henry and Philip Roth's The Humbling". Deadline Hollywood. 19 December 2014.
  5. ↑ "The Humbling". Metacritic.
  6. ↑ "The Humbling review". RogerEbert.com. 23 January 2015.
  7. ↑ "Party of Five EPs on Importance of Educating Audience on Citizenship". Variety. 6 February 2019.
  8. ↑ "Immigrant Stories Could Be Fall TV's Biggest Trend". Vulture. January 2018.
  9. ↑ "Party of Five Immigration-Themed Reboot Gets Series Order at Freeform". Deadline Hollywood. 4 February 2019.
  10. ↑ "A 'Party of Five' Reboot That Speaks to the Moment". The New York Times. 20 December 2019.
  11. ↑ "HLN Picks Up Activist News Series ASPIREist with Ben Affleck, Russell Brand". The Wrap. 17 September 2017.
  12. 1 2 "2016 EPPY Award Winners". EPPY Awards. 18 January 2016.
  13. 1 2 "Edward R. Murrow Award Winners — Excellence in Innovation". Radio Television Digital News Association. 2017.
  14. ↑ "Official Selection 2023". Los Angeles International Film Festival. 2023.
  15. ↑ "Family Drama 'Queen of the Jungle' In The Works at AMC From Michal Zebede and Michael London". Deadline Hollywood. 9 November 2022.
  16. ↑ "Courtney Clarke & Rafael De La Fuente Join 'Cuba, Paraíso' As Filming Begins In Puerto Rico". Deadline. 27 May 2026.
  17. ↑ "Working with Al Pacino, Barry Levinson & Finding Creative Freedom - Michal Zebede". International Screenwriters' Association – via YouTube.
  18. ↑ "Cuba, Paraíso". The Film Collaborative.
  19. ↑ "Courtney Clarke & Rafael De La Fuente Join 'Cuba, Paraíso' As Filming Begins In Puerto Rico". Deadline. 27 May 2026.
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