Jamil Dehlavi is a Pakistani-French filmmaker who was born to a diplomat family. He attended various international schools, Rugby School in England, and Oxford University, where he earned a BA in Politics and French Literature and an MA in Jurisprudence. He was called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn in London but chose to pursue a career in filmmaking instead.
Dehlavi studied film directing at Columbia University in New York and was awarded a Master of Fine Arts. He began his career in filmmaking by writing, producing, and directing the film "TOWERS OF SILENCE," which won the Grand Prize for best experimental film at the Festival of the Americas.
His next film, "THE BLOOD OF HUSSAIN," was an abstract essay on tyranny that explored the theme of a military dictatorship and the revolutionary movement against it. The film was shot on location in Pakistan and won several awards, including the Grand Prize at the Taormina film Festival and the Gold Award at Worldfest Houston.
Dehlavi's next feature film, "BORN OF FIRE," was a supernatural thriller that starred Peter Firth and was set in Turkey. The film won the Gold Special Jury Prize at Worldfest Houston and was nominated for a Golden Hugo at the Chicago International Film Festival.
Under Benazir Bhutto's government, Dehlavi returned to Pakistan and was commissioned to make "IMMACULATE CONCEPTION," a film that starred Melissa Leo and Shabana Azmi. The film won the Special Jury Prize at the Dinard Film Festival and was selected by Panorama at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Dehlavi's next film, "PASSION IN THE DESERT," was an adaptation of a Balzac short story and starred Ben Daniels and Michel Piccoli. The film was shot on location in Jordan and won the Grand Prize at the Festival of the Dhow Countries.
Dehlavi's next feature film, "JINNAH," was a historical epic that told the story of the partition of India and the founding of Pakistan. The film starred Sir Christopher Lee and Shashi Kapoor and won several awards, including the Grand Prize at the Festival of the Dhow Countries and the Gold Award at Worldfest Flagstaff.
Dehlavi's next film, "INFINITE JUSTICE," was a thriller that starred Kevin Collins and Raza Jaffrey and was loosely based on the Daniel Pearl murder. The film won several awards, including the Fipresci International Critics Prize and the Robert Rodriguez Prize for Excellence.
Dehlavi's next film, "GODFORSAKEN," was a supernatural thriller that starred Annabel Wright and Trevor White. The film won several awards, including the Special Jury Remi and Best International Film Awards at Worldfest Houston.
Dehlavi's next feature film, "SEVEN LUCKY GODS," was a psychological thriller that starred Nik Xhelilaj and Christopher Villiers. The film won several awards, including the Grand Prize at the Tirana International Film Festival and the Gold Lion Award at the Barcelona International Film Festival.
Dehlavi's latest work is "BLOOD MONEY," a short thriller that was selected by the Short Film Corner at the Cannes Film Festival. The film won several awards, including Best Picture at the West Coast International Film Festival in the US.
Dehlavi has also worked on various projects for the BBC, Channel 4, and French Television, including "QÂF - THE SACRED MOUNTAIN," "PASSOVER," and "THE GUITARIST." He has also exhibited his artwork at UNESCO in Paris, the Koel Gallery, and the Amin Gulgee Gallery in Karachi.