Alies recently received her M.F.A. from Columbia University, which she attended on full scholarship from the General John Monash Foundation. At Columbia, she was awarded a Screenwriting Fellowship and taught the undergraduate Screenwriting Lab. Her short film Ayaan was a finalist for the Dendy Awards at the 2020 Sydney Film Festival and is currently nominated for Best Direction in a Student Film, from the Australian Directors Guild. Ayaan also received the Leone Family Film Production Award, the IFP Audience Award, the Adrienne Shelly Best Female Director Award and a U.S. National Board of Review Student Grant. Also an Australian Academy Award nominated composer, Alies has performed worldwide with eminent artists including Nitin Sawhney, Sylvie Guillem, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Akram Khan. Musically directing Laurence Olivier Award and Time Out Critics Award (UK) nominated theatre and dance productions. Alies is currently in development on several features and TV series.