Name: Adeel Ahmed

Recipient Year: 2020

Description: Adeel Ahmed is a filmmaker based in NY. His producing credits include BURN COUNTRY, a film about an Afghan journalist living in Northern California starring James Franco, Oscar winner Melissa Leo and Golden Globe winner Rachel Brosnahan, and 2018 Sundance Film Festival favorite, American Paradise. Adeel’s documentaries have made a lasting impact in communities. His short, Save Punjabi Deli produced by Tribeca Film Institute, helped save the beloved New York Indian deli from closing and his short Unforgiven, for TIME Magazine, won back voting rights for an African American voter in Florida. Adeel was also commissioned by the Smithsonian to direct the music video for WILD WILD EAST and directed BROWN POWER which featured appearances by Cornel West, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Jesse Jackson, Hasan Minhaj, Diane Guerrero, Linda Sarsour and others. Adeel is the founding member of 1497, a non-profit focused on uplifting South Asian talent in the entertainment industry.

Sponsor: ISF Film Grant