Artist-scholar Shabnam Sukhdev is a doctoral student at the department of Arts, Media, Performance and Design at York University, pursuing research in the Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies program.
An accomplished filmmaker trained at FTII, she is an academic known for her visionary documentaries that explore themes of identity, culture, mental health, and social justice. Deeply moved by social injustices, she fearlessly uses her audio-visual storytelling to address subject matters often considered a box office risk, even at the cost of personal and professional challenges. Her bold approach to filmmaking exemplifies her qualities of curiosity, ambition, creativity and social engagement.
By combining storytelling, art, and education, Shabnam Sukhdev mobilizes her work to create spaces for dialogue, reflection, and collective healing, ultimately empowering individuals and communities to uplift their lives.
From the international success of her MFA thesis Unfinished (2021) to her broader body of work, Sukhdev has consistently demonstrated her talent for fostering empathy, challenging stigmas and advancing equity through the arts.
