Arezu Riaz is a NYC-based and SAG-eligible actor with experience in film, television, commercials, and video games.
Arezu has been training at HB Studio since 2023, studying acting, Shakespeare, stage combat, voice, and movement for both stage and screen.
She was born and raised in Dubai to a Pakistani father and an Iranian mother. After receiving her MA in International Affairs, Arezu worked in cultural diplomacy and arts communications before launching a career in acting while also managing a digital media consultancy.
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February 2026: Appeared in The Gentleman, directed by Alireza Sharifi, premiering at the Winter Film Festival on February 19.
February 2026: Played Mariam in the short, Dev and Mariam, directed by Srujanee Mishra.
Synopsis: Two ex-lovers reconnect after they parted without closure.
December 2025: Acted in my first lead role in the short ‘0+0,’ directed by Soyoung Yun. Synopsis: ‘After being released from prison, a woman visits the 12-year-old daughter of her former cellmate, hoping to persuade the girl to see her mother.’
June 2025: Kisses and Bullets, my first acting role in a short, had its NY premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.
December 2024: Played Angelina in a staged reading of The Assembly.
Synopsis: New York has been hit by the worst hurricane in US history. Under pressure, the mayor forms a Citizens’ Assembly to help determine how to spend $109 billion on recovery and addressing the worsening climate crisis.
January 2025: Played a role in ‘The Gentleman’ by Alireza Sharifi.
Synopsis: A reserved office worker hides a secret double life, where the polished masculinity he shows the world gives way to a private realm of desire and transformation.
July 2024: Worked on a commercial for IHG Resorts & Hotels / InterContinental Hotel Times Square.
November 2023: Played Shabnam in the Columbia University MFA Thesis film, Kisses and Bullets, directed by Faranak Sahafian.
Synopsis: Two Iranian women face their fears by going to a protest, and connect across the world with a photo that brings them hope for a better tomorrow.