Ali Kazimi (born 1961) is an Indo-Canadian filmmaker, media artist and writer.
Early life and education
Born and raised in India, Kazimi attended
St. Columba's School and graduated from
St. Stephen's College,
Delhi University
The Delhi University (DU, ISO 15919, ISO: ), also and officially known as the University of Delhi, is a collegiate university, collegiate research university, research Central university (India), central university located in Delhi, India. It ...
in 1982. He was awarded a scholarship to study film production at
York University
York University (), also known as YorkU or simply YU), is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, and it has approximately 53,500 students, 7,000 faculty and staff, ...
in Toronto Canada, in 1983 and graduated with BFA (honours) from the Department of Film in 1987. He joined the Department of Film, as a full-time faculty member in 2006 and served as the chair of what is now known as the Department of Cinema and Media Arts from 2015 to 2016.
Films
Kazimi has created a critically acclaimed body of work dealing with issues of race, immigration, history and social justice. His films have won more than thirty awards and nominations including the
Gemini Award
The Gemini Awards were awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television between 1986–2011 to recognize the achievements of Canada's English-language television industry. The Gemini Awards are analogous to the Emmy Awards given in t ...
,
Golden Conch (
MIFF
MIFF may refer to:
Film festivals
* Listapad, aka Minsk International Film Festival, held each November in Minsk, Belarus
* Maine International Film Festival, held in Waterville, Maine
*Melbourne International Film Festival, held in Melbourne, A ...
2006),
Gold Plaque (
Chicago International Film Festival
The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964 by Michael Kutza, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America. Its logo is a stark, black and white close up of the comp ...
, 1995),
Golden Gate Award, (
San Francisco International Film Festival
The San Francisco International Film Festival (abbreviated as SFIFF), organized by SFFILM, is held each spring for two weeks, presenting around 200 films from over 50 countries. The festival highlights current trends in international film and vid ...
, 1995) and Best Director Award (
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival
The Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival is the largest documentary festival in North America. The event takes place annually in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The 27th edition of the festival took place online throughout May and Jun ...
, 1995).
Honors
Kazimi was named the Best Documentarian in Toronto by
NOW Magazine's Best of Toronto 2005.
In 2019, Kazimi was one of 8 recipients of the
Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts
The Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts are annual awards for achievements in visual and media arts in Canada. Up to eight awards are presented annually, each with a prize amount of $25,000.
Created in 2000 by then Governor General ...
– "Kazimi’s lovingly rendered and profoundly insightful works demonstrate a deep-rooted empathy for his subjects, a singular cinematic eye, and an unflinching commitment to shedding light on difficult truths." The same year he also received an honorary degree, D.Litt. ''honoris causa'' from the University of British Columbia.
Films
* ''
Narmada: A Valley Rises'' (1994)
* ''Shooting Indians'' (1997)
* ''Some Kind of Arrangement'' (1998)
* ''
Continuous Journey'' (2004)
* ''
Runaway Grooms'' (2005)
* ''Random Acts of Legacy'' (2016)
Book
* ''Undesirables: White Canada and the Komagata Maru – An Illustrated History'' (2012)
References
External links
Official web site*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kazimi, Ali
1961 births
Living people
Canadian cinematographers
Canadian documentary film directors
Canadian Muslims
Film directors from Toronto
Indian emigrants to Canada
Indian Muslims
Delhi University alumni
York University alumni
Academic staff of York University
Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts winners
Asian-Canadian filmmakers