Ali May is a creator and writer of series with a keen interest in stories of societal and political importance, thrillers that entertain, and drama that pushes boundaries. He was born in Iran after the Islamic Revolution, grew up in the midst of the century’s longest war and he became an adult in a brutal dictatorship. To find his voice, he moved to the UK to study a masters’ in creative writing. He became a journalist, reporting on the Middle East’s politics and economy for Bloomberg, then worked for euronews as their UK Correspondent, and for the BBC on investigative projects. Since his transition into the series world, he has drawn on his professional experiences and tumultuous personal journey to develop original projects as well as create and write for some of the hottest producers in Europe and beyond. His original series Revolution was acquired by Spiro Films (Israel) and is being co-developed with Haut et Court (France). He was a development consultant for AR Content (Russia) on Red Rainbow, a series that went on to win the best project in Series Mania Forum 2021. His latest project has been creating and writing the six-part limited series Hunting Annika for Zentropa (Denmark).
Work
Current
A young Iranian woman’s protest against a repressive regime escalates into a struggle for survival. What begins as a pursuit for revenge after her girlfriend’s hanging, sparks a deadly movement that targets the dictatorship’s core.
Developing a spy thriller series with German production company, Good Friends.
Creator & Head Writer
A six-part limited series for Zentropa (Denmark), produced by Karoline Leth. Set in Tanzania, and enriched by true events, the series highlights the tensions and contradictions of the hunting eco-system: race, gender, sustainability and the ethics of hunting and poaching for survival and conservation.
Creator, Writer & Executive Producer
Production rights acquired by Spiro Films (Israel) and is being co-developed with Haut et Court (France). An eight-part series that, for the first time on TV, tells the story of the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran and its consequences from an Iranian perspective.
John Yorke Story — Running the Show with Jeff Melvoin, 2024
Television
Creator & Co-Writer
For Vertigo Films (Finland), with Matti Laine, created the pitch and wrote the pilot for the project. It won development funding from the Finnish Film Foundation and was selected as a finalist at C21 International Drama Series Pitch 2022.
Development Consultant
Provided early development strategy consultancy to AR Content (Russia) and designed the pitch. Red Rainbow went on to win the best project in Series Mania Forum 2021.
Specialist Training
John Yorke Story — Running the Show with Jeff Melvoin, 2024
MediaXchange — Storytelling for Scripted Television with John Yorke, 2022
Curtis Brown Creative — Writing an Original TV Drama with Colin Teevan, 2021
Education
Brunel University, London — Creative & Professional Writing MA, 2006-2007
Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran — English Language & Literature BA, 1999-2003
Previous Work
— Producer for BBC One, Newsnight, Radio 4 PM and World at One — 2018-2020
— Judge, The British Documentary Awards, The Grierson Trust — 2019
— Consultant for Durex, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Lego — 2015-2017
— UK Correspondent & News Producer, euronews — 2010-2014
— Middle East Reporter, Bloomberg News – 2008-2010
— Blogger, The Independent – 2007-2008