Indie It Girl: Why Nour Hooshmand Should Be on Your Radar

It is often said that there is no such thing as small roles, only small actors, and that can firmly apply to Nour Hooshmand and her ability to turn side characters into impactful moments. Even though her acting career began in earnest just this decade, Hooshmand has quickly been racking up several credits in independent cinema, mainstream films, and streaming shows that have taken her to red carpets beyond the Philippines. She may not be a household name yet, but she is quickly becoming one of those actors you see everywhere and can get your attention with her presence and performance.  

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The Many, Many Acting Roles of Nour Hooshmand

Like many great actors, Hooshmand’s origins began at the theater, particularly when she was a student at UP Diliman. Acting wasn’t exactly on her radar, but circumstances pushed her to the front of the camera, and the roles soon followed, especially in independent cinema. Her breakout project came with 2022’s Blue Room, which earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the FAMAS Awards in 2023.

Other appearances include the short film Agapito, which premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, and Cinemartyrs, which earned Hooshmand a coveted Best Actress nomination from Gawad Urian. On the mainstream side, her resume features roles in the 2022 GL series Sleep with Me, 2024’s Marahuyo Project, the Antoinette Jadaone-created The Kangks Show, MMFF 2025 entry Love You So Bad, the Kathryn Bernardo-led A Very Good Girl, and even the female lead of the music video for SB19’s Stell’s ‘Di Ko Masabi, among others.

2026 has been an especially busy year for Hooshmand, with credits in the 2026 Cinemalaya entries Tayo Lang Ang Nakakaalam, 2 Valid IDs, and Runo!, the historical drama Edjop, the HBO Max series Call My Manager, the 2026 Puregold Cinepanalo Film Festival short film entry Starfish, which bagged her a win for Pangalawang Aktres, and most notably, a supporting role in the acclaimed black comedy Filipiñana as Janine, the friend of lead character Isabel. If you’ve been frequenting the cinema this year, especially to watch Filipino movies, chances are you’ve seen Hooshmand more than once.

And if you think she’s done, there is still more coming for the Filipina-Iranian actress for the last quarter of the year, such as the anticipated BuyBust: The Undesirables from Netflix and the punk drama feature film Ria. She is the definition of booked and busy.

A Career That Has Taken Her From Cinemalaya to Cannes and Beyond

With her rising career also comes the opportunity for Hooshmand to travel overseas and attend some of the most prestigious film festivals in the world. She flew to France to attend the world premiere of Agapito when it competed at the Cannes Film Festival in 2025. Filipiñana made its debut at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Special Jury Award for Creative Vision in World Cinema. It then showed at the Berlin International Film Festival, before hitting cinemas locally and in the US.

This October, Ria will head to South Korea to premiere at the 31st Busan International Film Festival. There is even the possibility of Oscar gold in the future, as two movies she appears in are holding Oscar campaigns in the coming months, with Filipiñana for Best International Feature Film as the Philippines’ official entry to the category at the 99th Academy Awards and Agapito for Best Live Action Short Film.  

Along the way, Hooshmand isn’t just booking roles left and right, but also growing a list of A-list names and industry veterans she can call her co-stars. From Anne Curtis in BuyBust: The Undesirables to Judy Ann Santos in Call My Manager, Hooshmand has already shared the screen with several icons and proven she can go toe-to-toe with the best of them. She may not have the most extensive scenes, but Hooshmand makes every second count with her notable scene partners.

Curtis even once helped the young actress get her a dress to wear for the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. At that time, Hooshmand and Curtis were working together on the BuyBust sequel when Curtis learned that Hooshmand needed something to wear for the festival. So, the BuyBust star connected her with Mark Bumgarner, which resulted in a fairy godmother moment as Hooshmand wore a light blue gown from the designer on one of cinema’s most famous red carpets.

These are opportunities that actors wait years, if not decades, to experience, yet Hooshmand has already been doing it early in her career. But her success in landing roles and appearances in acclaimed projects from the independent arthouse and mainstream scenes that make waves in the Philippines and internationaly is more than just luck.

It is also a testament to her talent and skills as a thespian who understands what each role requires and knows that a character can be impactful regardless of screen time. It can be easy to get stereotyped into a genre or field, but Hooshmand, who is becoming one of the more prolific actresses in the indie space this decade, has found her footing on both sides of the industry. It’s impressive, and even more so considering that it’s a career she built from the ground up and without a big company or team behind her.

Nour Hooshmand is going places, and she has the credits, acting chops, and industry awards and nominations to back it up. So, keep an eye out for this artist and creative as she’s on her way to being one of 2026’s rising stars.

Featured Image: MEGA Archives, July 2026, Photo by Belg Belgica

Photos: MEGA Archives, July 2026, Photo by Belg Belgica, Photo by Kim Montes, NOUR HOOSHMAND (via Instagram), Photo by Alan Segui

Rafael Bautista

Senior Pop Culture Writer

Rafael Bautista is the Senior Pop Culture Writer of MEGA Asia, with a focus on producing articles and features about local and international entertainment, popular culture, and lifestyle.

Before this role, he spent five years in the youth-oriented magazine NYLON Manila, where he served multiple positions, including Deputy Editor, and created stories, profiles, and content on digital and print geared towards a Gen Z audience. In 2025, he was awarded Jr. Deputy Editor of the Year.

With years of experience in digital media, Rafael has an interest and passion for writing about movies, shows, pop culture, and entertainment, with a particular emphasis on titles, trends, and personalities who are making waves in modern culture or are on the cusp of becoming the next big thing people will talk about.

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