Shamim Sarif

Shamim Sarif
Born (1969-09-24) 24 September 1969
London, England
OccupationsNovelist, film director, screenwriter
Spouse
​
(m. 2015)​
Children2
Websiteshamimsarif.com

Shamim Sarif (born 24 September 1969) is a British novelist, screenwriter, and film director of Indian South African heritage. Sarif is best known for her work in writing and directing films with themes that often explore issues of identity and cultural diversity.

Early life and education

Sarif was born in London to Indian parents who had emigrated from South Africa in the early 1960s to escape apartheid.[1][2] She studied English literature at Royal Holloway, University of London and later completed a Master's degree in English at Boston University.[1]

Career

Sarif's debut novel, The World Unseen (2001), won a Betty Trask Award in 2002[3] and the Pendleton May First Novel Award. The novel explores issues of race, gender and sexuality and was heavily inspired by the stories of Sarif's grandmother and her Indian and South African heritage.[4]

Sarif has adapted and directed the films of three of her novels including The World Unseen (2001), which was selected for the Toronto International Film Festival, I Can't Think Straight (2008), and Despite the Falling Snow (2016).[5][6]

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.[7]

Her latest books, The Athena Protocol (2019) and The Shadow Mission (The Athena Protocol #2) (2020), represent a departure from her more familiar themes of romance and LGBTQ+ relationships, as it falls into the action-adventure and espionage genre.[8]

Sarif and her wife founded the production company Enlightenment Productions.[6]

In 2019 Sarif was invited to join the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.[9]

In 2023 she directed an episode of the Netflix series You.[10]

In 2025, she served as co-executive producer and directed an episode of the BBC drama The Split Up, starring Ritu Arya and Sanjeev Bhaskar.[11] She also serves as lead director on the upcoming Netflix and WildBrain series Finding Her Edge, directing five of the show's eight episodes. The series premiered on January 22, 2026.[12]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Director Writer Notes
2007 The World Unseen Yes Yes Feature film, adapted from Sarif's novel
2008 I Can't Think Straight Yes Yes Feature film, based on Sarif's novel
2011 The House of Tomorrow Yes Yes Documentary film
2016 Despite the Falling Snow Yes Yes Feature film, also based on Sarif's novel
2020 Ann Rule's A House on Fire Yes No TV film

TV series

Year Title Director Writer Notes
2020 Murdoch Mysteries Yes No directed episode: "Rigid Silence"
2021–2022 Diggstown Yes No directed 3 episodes
2022 SkyMed Yes No directed 2 episodes
2023 You Yes No directed episode: "Eat the Rich"
Moonshine Yes No directed 2 episodes
Sort of Yes No directed 4 episodes
2023–2024 The Way Home Yes No directed 6 episodes
2024 Sullivan's Crossing Yes No directed 2 episodes
2026 Finding Her Edge Yes No directed 5 episodes
TBA The Split Up Yes No Also co-executive producer

Bibliography

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Just another British, Indian, Muslim, Arab, Christian lesbian romantic comedy". Evening Standard. 12 April 2012.
  2. ^ Rachael Scott, "Having a gay old time: Novelist turned film-maker Shamim Sarif has two films, both based on her books, coming out tomorrow. She tells Rachael Scott how this one-two punch came about." The Guardian, 2 April 2009.
  3. ^ "Betty Trask Prize - The Society of Authors". 8 May 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  4. ^ Coleman, Bianca (13 February 2009). "Novel start leads to the reel world: ENT". Cape Times. ProQuest 430701497.
  5. ^ Scott, Rachael (2 April 2009). "Having a gay old time". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  6. ^ a b Van Dyke, Isobel (16 March 2023). "Meet Shamim Sarif, the director revolutionising film for queer women of colour". The Standard. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  7. ^ Billy Cox, "'House of Tomorrow' infused with excitement and optimism" Archived 8 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 16 April 2012.
  8. ^ jblacklow (11 September 2020). "Author Shamim Sarif is making huge waves in the YA thriller and screenwriting worlds | GLAAD". glaad.org. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  9. ^ Hayden, Erik (1 July 2019). "Academy Invites 842 New Members". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  10. ^ Jonzen, Jessica (21 April 2023). "In conversation with alumna Shamim Sarif". Royal Holloway University of London. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  11. ^ "Ritu Arya and Sanjeev Bhaskar to star in BBC drama The Split Up". BBC Media Centre. BBC. 2025. Retrieved 15 October 2025.
  12. ^ Gularte, Alejandra (8 January 2026). "A New Ice-Skating Romance Is Defrosting". Vulture. Retrieved 22 January 2026.

Further reading

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