Idil Ibrahim is a renowned writer, director, and creative producer whose extensive career has taken her to nearly every continent, allowing her to bring a rich cultural perspective to her storytelling. With a passion for elevating underrepresented stories on the global stage, her work has been featured at some of the most prestigious film festivals worldwide, including Sundance, Tribeca, Toronto International Film Festival, International Film Festival Rotterdam, Clermont-Ferrand, BlackStar, and Cinéma du Réel.
In recognition of her outstanding contributions to storytelling and her ability to inspire others through her work, Idil was honored with the Extraordinary Women Award by the 92nd Street Y in 2017. She was also named one of OkayAfrica's "100 Women" in 2018, highlighting her influence as a creative change maker.
Idil's short film, SEGA, which premiered in international competition at Clermont-Ferrand, explores themes of migration and repatriation and features Alassane Sy. The film went on to win Best Short Film at the 2019 BlackStar Film Festival and the Golden Dhow for Best Short Film at the Zanzibar International Film Festival. It was later acquired by Canal Plus Cinema for television distribution across Europe and Africa, cementing its impact as a cross-cultural narrative.
In addition to her work in film, Idil has also co-written and served as a consulting producer for an episode on Season 2 of Apple TV's award-winning series Little America, earning a Humanitas Prize nomination for her contribution. In 2022, she was handpicked as a director for the Queen Collective, a partnership between Tribeca Studios, Queen Latifah's Flavor Unit, and Procter & Gamble. Her film, In Her Element, premiered on BET during Black History Month as part of the 54th NAACP Image Awards weekend and won the Reel South Short Film Award at the Nashville Film Festival.
Idil was selected as a filmmaker for the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Writers' Studio in 2023, where she received the Chanel Women Writers' Network grant as part of the Share Her Journey initiative. In 2024, she was awarded the prestigious SF Film Makers Rainin Grant to further develop her debut feature film project.
Through her dynamic body of work, Idil Ibrahim continues to champion immersive, character-driven stories that resonate on a global scale. With projects spanning both television and film, she remains committed to crafting narratives that inspire, challenge, and connect audiences worldwide.
