The heir to a Burger Baron franchise, the filmmaker chases clues through rural Alberta, capturing the trials and tribulations of Arab immigrants while uncovering the saga of a rogue fast-food chain with mysterious origins and a cult following.
Omar Mouallem is an author, journalist, and filmmaker known for his ability to intertwine human interest stories with world history, social issues, and comedy. His short film The Last Baron was hailed by enRoute magazine as “one of the best Canadian food documentaries.” It was expanded into a feature retitled The Lebanese Burger Mafia, which premiered at Hot Docs in 2023 and received several honours from Northwest International Documentary Festival, Silk Road Film Festival, and Alberta's Rosie Awards. Omar’s other films include Digging in the Dirt, a raw look at the psychological toll of oil and gas labour (co-directed with Dylan Rhys Howard), and Making Kayfabe, a vérité film about the inside world of indie pro wrestling. Omar has also directed educational films and worked as a consultant and researcher for nonfiction drama. He’s represented by the Innovative Artists agency.