Naeem Mahmood

Naeem Mahmood is a film director committed to making bold, daring and thought provoking films. Described by Duran Duran as one of the freshest directors emerging in the UK, his work has been screened at numerous international film festivals and broadcast on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, BBC and ITV Network. His talent was recognised by 'Star Wars' and 'The Empire Strikes Back' producer Gary Kurtz who became his mentor in 2007. He is also a graduate of the Berlinale Talents and a Virgin Media Pioneer. Naeem won The Prince's Trust Millennium Award in his late teens and set up Trailblazer - a production company that empowers young creators from disadvantaged backgrounds to take risks and experiment relentlessly. 'Home Sweet Home', Naeem's debut short film exploring issues affecting young refugees, was a finalist in ITV's Whose London? competition. The following year saw his short film 'A Long Way to Piccadilly' screened at the BFI and broadcast on the BBC as part of Refugee Week. Naeem went on to work at ITV on programmes including the Graham Norton Show, Pop Idol, GMTV and the South Bank Show. Having cut his teeth in television, Naeem won a Best Picture award at the BRNO International Film Festival for the film 'Swimmer' which was described by Time Out magazine's Dave Calhoun as "A film that shows real promise and exudes confidence." Naeem went on to direct 'Flashmob' - an uncompromising portrait of the horrors of cyber bullying. The film won the 2008 Apollo Award for Best Youth Arts Project in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Naeem's directorial feature debut 'Brash Young Turks' was released theatrically in the UK to considerable acclaim, followed by TV broadcast on London Live and digital release on Amazon Prime. The film was awarded Best UK Movie at the 10th Movie Video & Screen Awards 2016. However nothing can prepare us for his hypnotic, thought-provoking latest feature, 'Gods of Their Own Religion'. It's a visionary portrait of a futuristic Britain, that allows Mahmood to show off his sumptuous visual talents. Gods of Their Own Religion is a dark dystopian fairy tale for the post-pandemic era. Naeem's ability to constantly come to the table with fresh ideas has seen him work with likes of Dame Vivienne Westwood, Duran Duran's Nick Rhodes, Mos Def, Georgia May Foote, Ricki Hall, Billy Huxley, Jasmine Jobson, Julian Glover, Tamer Hassan, Akala, D Double E, Caprice and many more. Naeem has received numerous accolades for his work including the award for Outstanding Contribution to London by the Mayor of London.