Tarique Qayumi's dramatic escape from Afghanistan, hiding in the back of a truck with his mother, inspired him to become a storyteller. He completed an episode for CBC's Allegiance as part of the 2023 Warner Access x Academy Directing Program.

His second feature, "Black Kite," a historical drama blending animation, documentary, and live-action, premiered at TIFF in 2017, screened at 20 festivals, and won three Leo Awards for Best Writer, Best Direction, and Best Picture. It was sold to Amazon Studios. Qayumi recently completed his third feature film, Conceiving Clara, in partnership with Telefilm. His TV series pitch, "Kabul Kitchen," won the Creator of Colour Incubator at TIFF '21 and received pre-development funding from CBC.

Qayumi loves working with actors and is grateful to his mentor, Judith Weston. He also found shooting his short film, Mara's World, on a virtual production stage rewarding. He has enjoyed being a mentor at Whistler Film Festival Screenwriting Labs.

Early in his career, Qayumi worked on popular TV shows in Afghanistan, including Truth Unveiled, The Defenders, and Sesame Street, significantly impacting local culture.

See photos of celebrities before they hit the big-time.

Tarique Qayumi

Director

Writer

Producer

Cinematographer

Editor

Thanks