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Best of Toronto 2005, Now Magazine
Ali Kazimi is an award-winning filmmaker based in Toronto, Canada. Born and raised in India, Kazimi's path to filmmaking started when he taught himself photography as a 13-year-old using his fathers 1940's Kodak Brownie. In 1979, he won his first award as a photographer in a university competition. Spurred on by an active Photographic Society in St. Stephen's College, Delhi University he started working as a freelance photographer in Delhi. During this time he also freelanced as a broadcaster producing several short radio documentaries for All India Radio. In 1983, he joined the graduate program of the Jamia Millia Mass Communications Research Centre. Soon after, he received a scholarship to attend the film production program at York University. After getting his B.F.A (Honours) in 1988, he decided to stay on in Canada to pursue a career as a filmmaker. Kazimi's films have been screened in festivals around the world, broadcast nationally (CBC, TVO, Vision TV, CBC- Newsworld, Knowledge Network and SCN) and internationally (Channel 4, PBS, Discovery Times). As a cinematographer, in addition to shooting his own films, Kazimi has photographed several acclaimed and award-winning films such as the Genie Award winner - A Song for Tibet (1992), My Niagara (1993), Bollywood Bound (2001), The Journey of Lesra Martin (2002). Kazimi has directed over two dozen episodes of television documentary series and has shot films in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, the U.K., the U.S.A , Bosnia, Italy, Turkey, Namibia, Indonesia and Morocco. In 1992, he wrote a short drama for children Hair Scare which was produced for TVOntario's acclaimed series Many Voices. In addition to his creative roles, Kazimi has worked as a film/video instructor and has mentored emerging filmmakers. He was the President of the Independent Film and Video Alliance (1992-93), and the Co-Chair of the Canadian Independent Film Caucus - Toronto, (1996-97). He is a full member of the Director's Guild of Canada. In April '98, IMAGES Festival Of Independent Film & Video screened three of his films as part of their annual Spotlight Program, honouring Canadian independent filmmakers. In September 2006, the Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive held a retrospective of his films and mostly recently in Feb. 2008 he was also honoured with a retrospective at the Mumbai International Film Festival. His films have won over thirty national and international awards and honours including The Donald Brittain Award for Best Social/Political Documentary (Gemini Awards), Golden Conch (Mumbai Int. Film Festival). Golden Sheaf (Yorkton), and Audience Awards for Best Documentary at the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival and Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles. In 2006, Kazimi joined the Department of Film, Faculty of Fine Arts, York University as a full time professor. He continues to work on his own projects  Runaway Grooms (2005) RUNAWAY GROOMS, investigates a disturbing trend where some Indo-Canadian men travel back to India to marry, extort Awards • Winner Gemini Award - The Donald Brittain Award for Best Social/Political Documentary. (Canada's Emmy Award) •Best Documentary - Audience Award & Honorary Mention Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, USA • GOLD AWARD Worldfest, Houston. • Nominated for Golden Sheaf Award for Best Social/Politcal Documentary and Best Original Score (Mark Korven) - Yorkton Short Film Festival Canada, 2006 • Nominated for Director's Guild of Canada - Best Team Achievment in a Documentary (2006). _________________________ Continuous Journey (2004) In 1914, the Komagata Maru, a ship carrying 376 immigrants from British India, was turned away by Canada. The consequences were felt throughout the British Empire. Continuous Journey is a compelling and eye-opening investigation into the past and present ramifications of this incident. More than history film, Continuous Journey is a provocative, moving, and multilayered essay that interweaves photographs, newsreels, home movies and official documents to unravel a complex and little-known story Awards • The Golden Conch , Mumbai International Film Festival, India, 2006 • The Ram Bahadur Trophy for the Best Film of Festival, Films South Asia, Kathmandu, Nepal, 2005 story • The Colin Low Award for the Most Innovative Canadian Documentary, DOXA Film + Video Festival, Vancouver, 2005 • Best film/video on matters relating to the Black Experience/Marginalized People, Black International Cinema, Berlin 2005 • Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature, San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, 2005 • Golden Sheaf Award – Best Original Score (Non-Fiction). Also nominated for Best History Documentary, Yorkton Film Festival, Canada 2005 • Bronze Remi Award, Theatrical Documentary, Houston World Filmfest, USA, 2005 • Sewa Award, Sikh Centennial Foundation, Toronto, Canada• Special Award, Punjabi Heritage Society California, USA• Special Award, Kesri Ribbon Project, Toronto, Canada• Opening Night Award, Spinning Wheel Film Festival, Toronto, 2004 • Honourable Mention – Best Direction & Second Place- Audience Award, Hot Docs- Canadian International Documentary Film Festival, Toronto, 2004 Nominations • Nominated for two Gemini Awards (2006) Best Overall Sound in a Documentary (Phillip Strong, Kevin Tookar) Best Original Score in a Documentary (Phillip Strong, Kiran Ahlluwalia, Ravi Naimpally, Shahid Ali Khan, Ben Grossman, Mark Korven) • Nominated for Director's Guild of Canada Award - Best Team Achievment in a Documentary (2005) . • Footage Researcher of the Year -Nominated for FOCAL International Award, UK, 2005 ________________________________ Documenting Dissent (2001) The impact of the largest peace time security operation in Canadian history on those attempting to document the protests in Québec City. "a powerful glimpse at the indignities protesters suffered behind the scenes" - Eye Weekly, Toronto, June 13, 2002 ____________________________ Some Kind of Arrangement (1998) Three young Canadians of South Asian descent embark on a quest to find their life partners using, and changing to suit their needs, the idea of an arranged marriage. • Golden Sheaf Award, Yorkton Film Festival, UK 1998, Canada • Gold CINDY Award for Best International Broadcast Documentary, CINDY Competitions (Cinema in Industry), San Diego, 1998 • Honourable Mention - Itinerant - National Council on Family Relations • Ceritificate for Creative Excellence - US International Film and Video Festival • Ceritificate of Merit, Columbus International Film Festival 1998, USA • Nominated for The Donald Brittain Award for Best Social/Political Documentary, Gemini Awards (Canadian version of the Emmy Awards) ___________________________________ Passage from India (1997) Through the descendants of Bagga Singh, who immigrated from India to Canada in 1913, the history of South Asian immigration to Canada unfolds. One episode of an anthology series - The Scattering of Seeds. Award • Gold Award for Best Television Series, Houston World Filmfest, USA, 1997 ___________________________________ Shooting Indians - A Journey with Jeffrey Thomas (1997) Shot over a period of nine years, Shooting Indians breaks new ground in offering a dialouge between Jeffrey Thomas, an Iroquios photographer and filmmaker Ali Kazimi. Lurking in the background is Edward Sheriff Curtis, the American photographer who spent nearly three decades documenting "the vanishing race" . Awards • Finalist - Best Short Documentary Genie Award (Canadian Academy Award), 1997 • Finalist - Best Arts Documentary, HOT DOCS! Canadian National Documentary Awards, 1998 __________________________________ Narmada: A Valley Rises (1994) One of the world’s largest dams, the Sardar Sarovar is being constructed on the Narmada River in central India. It will displace hundreds of thousands of people This beautifully photographed inspiring film documents a 200 kilometre non-violent Gandhian march involving 6000 participants. It offers a compelling and intimate portrait of a unique movement while raising the film raises critical and universal issues of human-rights, social justice and development within a democracy. Awards • Silver Conch & the International Critics' Award, Mumbai International Film Festival (formerly Bombay IFF), India, 1996 • Finalist - Best Feature Documentary, Genie Award (Canadian Academy Award), 1995 • Golden Gate Award, San Francisco International Film Festival, United States, 1995 • Gold Plaque, Chicago International Film Festival, United States, 1995 • Bronze Plaque, Columbus International Film & Video Festival, • Best Direction, Best Political Documentary & Special Mention for Best of Festival, HOT DOCS - Canadian National Documentary Awards, 1995 ___________________________________ Voice of Our Own (1989) (co-director) In the midst of the worst snowstorm in decades women from across Canada debate and argue to create the National Organisation of Immigrant and Visible Minority Women. ___________________________________ Flying Light (1984) A short student film about the thrill of learning to fly ultra-light aircraft- featuring the Canadian designed and built Zenair Zipper.
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