Jamil Dehlavi
Jamil Dehlavi (Urdu: جمیل دہلوی) is a London-based independent film director and producer of Pakistani-French origin.[1] Son of a diplomat who travelled extensively between Asia and Europe, he is fluent in five languages. He studied at Karachi Grammar School, then at international schools in Paris and Rome before going to Rugby School and Oxford University. He graduated with a BA in Politics and French Literature and an MA (Hons) in Jurisprudence. He was subsequently called to the Bar at Lincoln’s Inn but never practised, preferring instead to go into the world of cinema. Dehlavi studied film directing at Columbia University in New York, where he was awarded a MFA degree.
Background
Dehlavi was born in Calcutta (now Kolkata), British India, to a Muslim father and a French mother. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the family moved to Pakistan, where his father joined the Foreign Service, so they travelled extensively. Growing up between Europe and Asia, Dehlavi is fluent in five languages, but has said that he feels emotionally most connected to Karachi. He won a place at Oxford University, graduating with a BA in Politics and French Literature and an MA (Hons) in Jurisprudence. He was subsequently called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn but never practised law, choosing the world of cinema instead. He studied film directing at Columbia University in New York where he was awarded a MFA Degree.
Career
While studying there he also trained as an actor with Stella Adler and made his first feature film, Towers of Silence (1976), which he wrote, produced and directed. It won the Grand Prize at the Festival of the Americas. His next film, The Blood of Hussain (1980), was selected by the Director's Fortnight at Cannes and won the Grand Prize at the Taormina Film Festival. All his subsequent films have also won awards at film festivals all over the world.
Dehlavi has worked on various projects for the BBC, Channel Four, and French television, including Qâf – The Sacred Mountain, which won awards at five environmental film festivals, and Passover, a passion play shot in Córdoba and made in collaboration with the celebrated flamenco guitarist Paco Peña. Dehlavi also worked in the Radio & Visual Services Division at the United Nations and is currently an Associate Professor at Habib University in Karachi.
Selected credits
- 1973 Guitarist
- Gold Medal at the Atlanta Film Festival
- 1976 Towers of Silence (starring Judy Van Hook & Jamil Dehlavi)
- Grand Prize at the Festival of the Americas
- 1980 The Blood of Hussain (starring Salman Peerzada, Kika Markham & Durriya Kazi)
- Director's Fortnight Cannes Film Festival
- Grand Prize Taormina Film Festival
- Gold Award Houston Film Festival
- 1984 QÂF the Sacred Mountain
- Best Environmental Film at Jackson Hole Mountain Film Festival
- Special Jury Award at Telluride Mountain Film Festival –
- Silver Gentian Best Mountain Film at Trento Mountain Film Festival –
- Diable d'Or Les Diablerets, Switzerland –
- Best Environmental Documentary Houston Film Festival –
- 1986 Born of Fire (starring Peter Firth & Suzan Crowley)
- Official Selection Avoriaz Film Festival
- Gold Award Best Feature Film Houston Film Festival
- Catalan Award Imagfic Madrid
- 1992 Immaculate Conception (starring Melissa Leo, James Wilby, Shabana Azmi,
- & Zia Mohyeddin)
- Panorama Berlin Film Festival
- Special Jury Prize Dinard Film Festival
- 1996 Passover (starring Jorge de Juan & Belen Fernandez)
- 1997 Passion in the Desert (Producer) (starring Ben Daniels & Michel Piccoli)
- 1998 Jinnah (starring Christopher Lee, James Fox, Maria Aitken & Shashi Kapoor)
- Grand Prize Zanzibar International Film Festival
- Best International Film World Film Awards, Indonesia
- Gold Award Best Foreign Film Worldfest Flagstaff
- Silver Award Houston Film Festival
- 2006 Infinite Justice (starring Kevin Collins & Raza Jaffrey)
- FIPRESCI International Critics Prize
- Best European Feature Film European Independent Film Festival, Paris
- Robert Rodriguez Prize for Excellence Hollywood DV Festival
- Critic's Prize Amiens International Film Festival
- Audience Award Best Film Florence River to River Festival
- Special Jury Award Worldfest Houston
- Best Supporting Actor: Raza Jaffrey, Karafilm Festival, Karachi
- 2010 Godforsaken (starring Annabel Wright, Trevor White & Nick Ashdon)
- Golden Palm Award, Mexico International Film Festival
- Special Jury Remi and Best International Film Award Worldfest Houston
- 2012 Tournament of Shadows
- 2013 Seven Lucky Gods
- Grand Prize, Tirana International Film Festival
- Best Feature Film Canada International Film Festival
- Special Jury Prize, Worldfest Houston
- Best Actor: Nik Xhelilaj, Worldfest Houston
- Best Supporting Actress Nomination: Alison Peebles, Worldfest Houston
- Best Supporting Actress Nomination: Kate Maravan, International Film Festival
- Best Production Design Nomination: Jamil Dehlavi, Milan International Film Festival
References
- ↑ Jamil Dehlavi Profile on Habib University. Retrieved 28 August 2013.