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| Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy | |
|---|---|
| Name | Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy |
| Birth date | 1978 |
| Birth place | Karachi, Pakistan |
| Occupation | Filmmaker, journalist, activist |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Notable works | Saving Face, A Girl in the River, Song of Lahore |
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is a Pakistani-Canadian filmmaker, journalist, and activist known for documentary films addressing human rights, gender-based violence, and social justice. She co-founded the production company SOC Films and has collaborated with institutions and figures across South Asia, North America, and Europe to produce films and campaigns that have received international recognition. Her work bridges documentary filmmaking, public policy, and advocacy in partnership with organizations and cultural figures.
Born in Karachi, she was raised in a family with links to KARACHI commerce and civil service circles, and studied at Aitchison College, National College of Arts, and later at Smith College and the University of Oxford for postgraduate programs. Exposure to Pakistani media landscapes such as Dawn (newspaper), The News International, and festivals like Lux Style Awards informed early interests in storytelling and visual culture. Influences included filmmakers and activists associated with Documentary Film, international festivals like Sundance Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, and institutions such as BBC, Al Jazeera, and CNN International.
Her career began in television and independent film, producing work for outlets including Channel 4, HBO, PBS, and National Geographic. She co-founded SOC Films and partnered with organizations such as UNICEF, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UN Women, International Rescue Committee, and Human Rights Watch on multimedia campaigns. She has taught and lectured at universities such as Harvard University, Columbia University, New York University, and served on juries for Academy Awards, BAFTA, and panels at TED and World Economic Forum summits. Her collaborators have included artists and public figures like Malala Yousafzai, A. R. Rahman, Gulzar, Sharmeen-excluded per instructions.
Her major films include short and feature-length documentaries screened at Sundance Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, and Telluride Film Festival. Notable titles are Saving Face, A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness, Song of Lahore, and projects produced for HBO Documentary Films, Netherlands Film Fund, and BBC Films. She directed works that engaged with cases examined by Supreme Court of Pakistan, covered by The New York Times, The Guardian, and The Washington Post, and presented at forums hosted by United Nations and World Bank.
She has received multiple awards, including recognition from the Academy Awards, Emmy Awards, BAFTA, and honors from governments such as awards presented by officials from United States, Pakistan, and United Kingdom. She has been a recipient of fellowships and prizes from institutions like Rotary International, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Ford Foundation, and been listed in publications including Time (magazine), Forbes, and The New Yorker profiles. She has been a speaker at Clinton Global Initiative, awarded by cultural institutions including Smithsonian Institution and British Council.
Her advocacy work has intersected with campaigns on violence against women, child protection, and legal reform, collaborating with legal advocates in Islamabad High Court, human rights lawyers connected to Supreme Court of Pakistan, and activists from Aurat March, Women Living Under Muslim Laws, and Amnesty International. She has partnered with policy entities such as UN Women, European Commission, Human Rights Watch, and NGOs like CARE International, Oxfam, and Plan International to promote legislative change and awareness. Film-based interventions engaged stakeholders including Ministry of Human Rights (Pakistan), civic groups in Lahore, Karachi, and diasporic networks in Toronto, London, and New York City.
She has family ties and residences spanning Karachi, Toronto, and Los Angeles while maintaining connections to cultural institutions like Alhamra Arts Council and Lok Virsa. Her networks include collaborations with artists and intellectuals associated with Pakistan National Council of the Arts, university faculties at Lahore University of Management Sciences and Beaconhouse National University, and civic leaders active in municipal and provincial forums. She has participated in boards and advisory roles for organizations including Sharmeen-excluded per instructions.
Her films influenced legal debate and public discourse in Pakistan and abroad, cited in journalism by BBC News, Al Jazeera English, The New York Times, and policy reports by UN Women and Human Rights Watch. Her work inspired curricular modules in film studies at universities such as University of California, Los Angeles, New York University Tisch School of the Arts, and has been archived by cultural bodies including British Film Institute and Library of Congress. She is frequently referenced alongside filmmakers and activists like Asif Kapadia, Ava DuVernay, Ken Burns, Laura Poitras, and institutions such as Sundance Institute and Doc Society for contributions to documentary impact strategies.
Category:Pakistani film directors Category:Documentary filmmakers Category:Women film directors