Tarique Qayumi's life-altering experience of escaping Afghanistan as a young boy, hiding in the back of a truck with his mother, served as the catalyst for his future endeavors as a storyteller. He was accepted into the 2023 Warner Access x Academy Directing Program, where he had the opportunity to create an episode for CBC's Allegiance.
Qayumi's second feature film, "Black Kite", a unique blend of animation, documentary, and live-action, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2017, and went on to be screened at 20 festivals worldwide, earning three prestigious Leo Awards for Best Writer, Best Direction, and Best Picture. Notably, "Black Kite" was acquired by Amazon Studios. His third feature film, Conceiving Clara, was recently completed in partnership with Telefilm.
In addition to his feature film work, Qayumi has also developed a TV series pitch, "Kabul Kitchen", which won the Creator of Colour Incubator at TIFF '21 and received pre-development funding from CBC.
Throughout his career, Qayumi has expressed his appreciation for the guidance he has received from his mentor, Judith Weston. He has also enjoyed the experience of shooting his short film, Mara's World, on a virtual production stage, finding it to be a rewarding and innovative approach to filmmaking. Furthermore, Qayumi has had the opportunity to give back to the industry by serving as a mentor at the Whistler Film Festival Screenwriting Labs.
In his early career, Qayumi worked on several popular TV shows in Afghanistan, including Truth Unveiled, The Defenders, and Sesame Street, which had a significant impact on local culture.
