Sabiha Sumar

Sabiha Sumar is an independent filmmaker from Pakistan. Sabiha Sumar merely represents "women's cinema", and directed films that geared toward female moviegoers. She is one director who has been directing critically –acclaimed films since her career as an independent filmmaker. Sabiha also made many documentary films before she could handle feature films.

Sabiha is more prolific filmmakers of Pakistan who not only covered dramatic films but also noted directed some notable documentaries like Don't Ask Why (1999), For a Place Under the Heavens (2003), On the roofs of Delhi (2007), and Dinner with the President (2007). She is a filmmaker who wants exchange talents from neighboring countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka where she can take the best talent for her film.

Sabiha feels the talents of India and Pakistan should give up the boundary issues and give up petty interests. This director had studied filmmaking and political science at Sarah Lawrence College in New York. After completing her course of filmmaking for three years, she went to read history and political science from Cambridge University. When she made her directorial debut for ‘Khamosh Pani’, she chose Indian actress Kiron Kher to act in the film. So far, she has directed two films, ‘Khamosh Pani’ and 'Good Morning Karachi'.

Her first film fetched her recognition and award in an international film festival, and she collected her Golden Leopard trophy from Locarno International Film Festival in 2003. Although her first feature film ‘Khamosh Pani’ was banned in Pakistan, her documentary ‘Saving Face’, brought home an Oscar for her, she earned a global audience for her films and has put Pakistan on the map of world cinema.

This director has bagged two Emmy Awards and an Oscar. This prolific filmmaker was born in Karachi on September 29, 1961. She had earned much acclaim for both her documentary and narrative film, which deal with social and political issues and points out the religious fundamentalism on society.