Shamim Sarif is a British novelist and filmmaker of South Asian and South African heritage. Her work often focuses on various aspects of identity including gender, race, and sexuality. It often draws upon her own personal experience with cross cultural, non-heterosexual love.
Early life and education
Sarif was born in London, England, to Indian parents who had left South Africa in the early 1960's to escape apartheid. She studied English literature at the University of London, then took a Masters in English at Boston University.
Career
In January of 2001, Sarif co-founded a multi-media entertainment company based in London and in partnership between her spouse, producer Hanan Kattan, called Enlightenment Productions in which all of her films would be released through. Her roots inspired her to write her debut novel, The World Unseen, which explores issues of race, gender and sexuality, which she later adapted into a film starring Lisa Ray and Sheetal Sheth. It was heavily inspired by the stories of Sarif's grandmother and the family's Indian and South African heritage. She has also adapted and directed a film based on her book I Can't Think Straight. Her movies have made Sarif something of a hero for gay South Asians struggling with their identity. Her 2011 film The House of Tomorrow is a documentary about the 2010 TEDx Holy Land Conference, which brought together Arab and Israeli women to discuss issues of mutual interest in technology, entertainment, and design. At the Cannes Festival 2013 Enlightenment Productions announced their new film Despite The Falling Snow. The film starring Mission Impossible 5 Swedish actress Rebecca Ferguson, Game of Thrones actor Charles Dance, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Antje Traue, Sam Reid, Anthony Head and Trudie Styler, was released in UK on 15 April 2016. Her latest project, The Dreaming Spires, is still in production.
On 14 September 2014 Enlightenment Productions was announced as one of the finalists for Breaking the Mould Award, a prize aimed to promote and enhance the role of women in business.
Enlightenment Productions were Winner of the Kingston Business Excellence Awards 2014, Best Creative and Media Sector Business.
Personal life
Sarif's background was in her family's financial business for 10 years before becoming a full-time novelist and film director. On 23 September 2015 she married producer Hanan Kattan at the Chelsea Registry Office in London, after nearly 20 years together. They have two sons, Ethan and Luca. Sarif is openlylesbian and described I Can't Think Straight to be semi-autobiographical. Sarif claims Muslim origins. She has stated that Jeanette Winterson's The Passion is one of her favorite books.
