Brishkay Ahmed

I chatted & danced with our most prolific feminists and human rights activists and politicians/senators. We have such a #goodsenator in @senmarilou . We have a great politician in @maryammonsef . We have legendary feminists who have done ( and continue) to do great work for women and girls across the globe! The work of Nancy Ruth, Jeanette Lavell, Dr. Roz Roach and Dr. JEAN Augustine... and more! Gratitude 🙏 to you champions. I danced with them. I will always walk beside them ❤️ Nazanin.

Alka Sadat “Through this collaboration, art becomes resistance, standing in solidarity with the voices that truly matter” @alkasadat filmmaker & cofounder of Roya Film House and Herat International Women Film Festival Herat International Women’s Film Festival in Exile take a room during International’s Frauen Film Fest Dortmund+Köln @frauenfilmfest Thanks for this stand up and for this solidarity @brishkay Thank you for your wonderful film Herat International Women Film Festival Last held in Afghanistan in 2020, the festival was suspended after the Taliban came to power. Herat International Women’s Film Festival was founded by Roya Film House and the Armanshahr Foundation. (C) @Julia Franken/K3 for IFFF Dortmund+Köln

@writers_guild_of_canada @carrollvc @mazin.elsadig in good company with my @cfccreates alumni buds! Thanks for this cheeky photo ❤️ it! #intheroom won! Grateful to @tsnelgrove @svcal @nfb_katja triangle powerhouse of women who had my cheeky back! So much love for @officialmozhdah @missafghanistanofficial @sahar_parniyan_official @shogofasediq @pazira.fisk.nelofer my brave bold 🌟 Keep doing what you need to do. I will walk beside you. ❤️ to sos and tuts... @sofia.farahani @atusafarahani my lighthouse.

@everittlock ’s ‘Our Planet, The People, My Blood’ @atomicblooddoc goes beyond documentary, unpacking the human cost of nuclear testing through deeply personal storytelling. In conversation with Daniel, @armkaur5 dives into the journey behind the film and the story that shaped it. Alongside this, @brishkay continues to redefine documentary filmmaking. She centres Afghan women’s voices with courage, nuance, and unwavering commitment. In a chat with @armkaur5 , she reflects on bearing witness and telling stories that refuse to be ignored. Check out both articles on reelway.ca #REELway #DocumentaryFilm #Storytelling #CanadianFilm GlobalVoices

What a surreal night at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival ✨ To walk that carpet surrounded by such extraordinary talent and to see Afghan women represented with strength and dignity means more than words can say. So proud of @pazira.fisk.nelofer , @officialmozhdah @missafghanistanofficia and @brishkay powerful women carrying powerful stories. Huge appreciation to @officialsbiff for creating space for meaningful cinema, and to @brishkay for your courage, creativity and leadership. Your work continues to open doors that once felt impossible. Grateful as well to the National Film Board of Canada and @nfb_katja for your constant support and belief in this journey. A night to remember, and a moment that belongs to all of us. #santabarbarfilmfestival #afghanwomen #afghanistan

I mean it's the truth.

Thank you @officialsbiff for the very warm reception! We loved sharing our @onf_nfb film IN THE ROOM with your awesome audience! We missed you @tsnelgrove @svcal #afghanwomenexist so much LOVE for @officialmozhdah @pazira.fisk.nelofer @sahar_parniyan_official @missafghanistanofficial We missed you @shogofasediq Gratitude to @nfb_katja for being the #bestpublicist ever.

Meet the women behind Sama 📽️ 1) Writer, Director and Producer, Brishkay Ahmed of Digital Warrior Productions. Brishkay is an Afghan-Canadian filmmaker whose work is known for complex female characters and storytelling that explores women’s rights and lived realities. Along with numerous nominations and awards for her past work, her recent experimental feature In The Room, produced by the National Film Board of Canada, premiered at VIFF in 2025 and won the Audience Award in the Showcase strand, and is nominated the 2026 Writers Guild of Canada Award. 2) Producer Nancy Schoesetters of Bulletproof Cupid Films. Nancy is a Belgian producer with a strong background in production finance, business development, and international film and television production. Her work spans independent features to high-end international series, where she combines financial expertise with hands-on production leadership. Since 2025, Nancy has been a producer and showrunner at Bulletproof Cupid, contributing to bold, socially engaged stories with international reach. Her cross-border experience and strategic approach to financing position her at the forefront of globally minded storytelling. 3) Producer Bonnie Do of House Panther Films. Bonnie is a Canadian producer focused on creator-led work that targets global audiences. Her experience spans independent features, international co-productions, series, and complex financing structures. She began her career at Telefilm Canada and the Canada Media Fund before joining the award-winning team at Serendipity Point Films, where she led business affairs and contributed to acclaimed titles including Crimes of the Future (Cannes 2022). As a lead producer, her short films Sight (dir. Lu Asfaha) premiered at Fantasia, and Boutique (dir. Brishkay Ahmed) won the 2025 Golden Sheaf Award for Short Fiction at the Yorkton Film Festival. Most recently, she wrapped production on Season 2 of Go Togo and a CBC Kids–commissioned children’s series.

Official Selection of the 2026 Santa Barbara International Film Festival: IN THE ROOM - Directed by Brishkay Ahmed For more information download the festival app. #sbiff #santabarbara #sbiff2026  @brishkay