Shabnam Sukhdev – Filmmaker | Professional Educator

Shabnam Sukhdev is an artist, filmmaker, educator, and interdisciplinary researcher whose practice spans film, theatre, performance, and community-engaged storytelling. A graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), she has spent more than twenty-five years creating documentaries, fiction, and hybrid works that explore identity, migration, memory, mental health, gender, and social justice. Her work is recognized for its ethical approach to storytelling and its willingness to engage subjects often considered commercially risky but socially urgent.

From the international success of her award-winning MFA thesis film Unfinished (2021) to her broader body of work, Sukhdev has consistently used the arts to challenge stigma, amplify underrepresented voices, and create spaces for dialogue, empathy, and social transformation. Her work increasingly moves fluidly across artistic disciplines, bringing together live performance, documentary practice, digital media, and research-creation to investigate how stories can deepen understanding between individuals, families, and communities. She is also affiliated with York University’s Department of Arts, Media, Performance & Design, where her research informs and extends her artistic practice.

Sukhdev is the founder and Creative Director of Upper Room Image & Sound (URIS), an independent production company established as an audio-visual media house that has evolved into an interdisciplinary creative studio. Today, URIS develops projects across documentary, live performance, digital media, installation, and participatory arts, grounded in collaboration, critical inquiry, and artistic experimentation. Its work is driven by the belief that storytelling is more than representation – it is a way of fostering connection, reflection, and meaningful social change.

Whether collaborating with artists, communities, researchers, or cultural organizations, Sukhdev’s practice is guided by a simple question: How can stories be told responsibly, and how can they help us better understand one another? Through both her own academic and creative work she continues to create projects that bridge artistic disciplines and invite audiences into thoughtful engagement with our shared humanity.