Our Story

Levantine Films is an independent motion picture production company that develops, produces and finances its projects. Founded by Jamal Daniel, Levantine Films is fully committed to finding and producing material that is character-driven, socially relevant and commercially viable.

In 2016, Levantine Films produced Hidden Figures, which grossed $230 million worldwide and was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Most recently, the company produced Blinded By The Light, which premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and was released by New Line Cinema later that year.

Levantine Films was also responsible for producing The Fundamentals of Caring, starring Paul Rudd and Selena Gomez, which premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival as the Closing Night Film, as well as Beasts Of No Nation, directed by Cary Fukunaga, winner of the Marcello Mastroianni Award at the 72nd Venice Film Festival and the Cinema for Peace Award.

Management Team

Jamal Daniel

Jamal Daniel is the founder of Crest Investment Company. An entrepreneur and innovator, Mr. Daniel has over 35 years of experience overseeing his diverse portfolio of investments in media and entertainment, technology, hospitality, real estate, and energy sectors.

Mr. Daniel is the founder of New Levant Initiative (NLI) which aims to promote peace and prosperity through economic integration and culture discourse among the people and countries of the Levant. In 2018, the NLI hosted a day-long conference at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, to discuss the distinct Levantine culture that exists today and has existed throughout history.

Founded by Mr. Daniel in 2012 and wholly owned by Crest Media, Al-Monitor features unmatched reporting and analysis by prominent journalists and experts from the Middle East. Published in Washington, DC, Al-Monitor’s mission is to foster a deeper understanding between the Middle East and the international community. Just two years after its launch, the International Press Institute honored Al-Monitor with its Free Media Pioneer Award – an award given annually to an organization that distinguishes itself in the fight for free and independent news.

In 2009, Mr. Daniel launched Levantine Films which is focused on developing and producing compelling, character-driven stories that entertain, spark conversation and bring awareness to underrepresented segments of society. Notable films include Best Picture nominee Hidden Figures and Jerry & Marge Go Large.

In 1999, Mr. Daniel founded The Levant Foundation, a private, non-profit organization committed to the furthering of knowledge of Levantine culture and history, as well as the relationships among the three monotheistic religions. The foundation supports many academic, cultural and humanitarian programs including an endowment at The Dodd Center for Human Rights at the University of Connecticut, UNICEF, a major expansion at the American University of Beirut Medical Center, the rebuilding of St. George Hospital in Beirut, endowed scholarships at Georgetown University, academic programs at Rice University, research at MD Anderson Cancer Center, as well as an endowment at the University of Texas Press.

Mr. Daniel was born in Syria, and moved to Lebanon when he was five years old. After completing his high school education in a Jesuit school in Lebanon, Mr. Daniel and his family moved to Geneva, Switzerland where he attended the University of Geneva. Mr. Daniel has a degree in business from Pepperdine University and a masters of business administration from the University of Texas at Austin.