Chris Zuhdi was born in Oklahoma City, grew up in Shawnee, Oklahoma, and majored in Film & Video Studies at the University of Oklahoma, where he was mentored by Oscar-winning producer Gray Frederickson. He wrote, directed, and produced his 2017 debut independent feature film, Goodnight, Charlene, through his newly formed production company Skytrain Films, LLC, which secured a theatrical run at the Arena Cinelounge and earned critical praise from the Los Angeles Times. Zuhdi followed this success with the gritty independent feature Mexican Moon, establishing a distinct voice in contemporary Neo-Noir cinema and earning critical focus via an extensive, deep-dive filmmaker interview with Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic Debbie Lynn Elias of Behind The Lens as well as a D Magazine write up. Chris Zuhdi partnered with Paul T. Taylor for his third, Neo-Noir thriller Neon Cactus, marking the first production in his hometown of Shawnee, OK. In 2026, Zuhdi served as the multi-hyphenate auteur, writing, directing, producing, editing, and starring as Officer Joe Pacifico in, the acclaimed independent feature film Nine Black Cats. A retro conspiracy thriller filmed on location utilizing the mid century architectural time capsule of Shawnee, Oklahoma. The project generated significant industry momentum, earning trade indexing in Deadline, IGN, alongside targeted print media coverage in the New York Times weekend edition. The feature film's screenplay architecture, visual identity, and crossover multicultural appeal were covered extensively across prominent cinema outlets, including a featured profile by film critic Stephen Saito of The Moveable Fest (a Los Angeles Online Film Critics Society member whose reviews also appear in Variety and the Los Angeles Times), an exclusive interview with LRN (Latino Radio Network), and an in-depth filmmaker spotlight with journalist Karen Benardello of Film Factual, a Governing Committee Member of the New York Film Critics Online. Nine Black Cats achieved a nationally tracked theatrical distribution run anchored at New York City's iconic Cinema Village, the legendary art house venue that famously launched David Lynch's filmmaking career with his debut feature Eraserhead.
