معرفی
Ambarien Alqadar is an Assistant Professor at DePaul University's School of Cinematic Arts. She is a filmmaker, writer, and educator whose work is deeply influenced by her upbringing in India and her immigrant perspective. Her research and creative projects focus on Directing, Cinema Production, Screenwriting, and Hybrid Filmmaking Practices within World Cinema.
- MFA in Film and Media Arts, Temple University (2015)
- Training at Anwar Jamal Kidwai Mass Communication Research Center (AJK MCRC), Jamia Millia Islamia, India
Her films explore themes of home, exile, displacement, and the myth of the American Dream, while her academic work emphasizes 'visual justice cinema'—a practice centering underrepresented voices. She employs innovative hybrid filmmaking techniques and speculative fiction to address gender, cultural identity, and postcolonial narratives.
Ambarien's recent creative work includes Sultana's Dream (2021), a speculative fiction adaptation of a 1905 feminist text, and The Calligrapher (2023), which critiques the erasure of Muslim women's identities. Her screenplays like Nisa (Woman) (2023) and Bird Woman (2023) have garnered international recognition.
- Emerging Voice in India Cinema Award 2023
- Best Documentary Short Award 2023, Chicago South Asian Film Festival
- Federation of Film Societies of India SIGNS Special Jury Award
- Indian Documentary Producers’ Association Silver Award
- Virginia Center for The Creative Arts Residency
- European Union–India Documentary Exchange Fellowship
- Philadelphia Independent Film and Video Grant
Ambarien teaches courses such as Directing I-V, Topics in Digital Cinema, and Independent Study at DePaul. She has previously held teaching positions at AJK MCRC, Jamia Millia University, and Rochester Institute of Technology. Her professional affiliations include the Fulbright Alumni Network, University Film & Video Association (UFVA), and Brown Girls Doc Mafia.
