South Africa

International award winning filmmaker Junaid Ahmed was born in Durban, South Africa in 1959. After receiving his BS degree in Drama from the University of Durban-Westville, he began acting and producing both in South Africa’s previously disadvantaged community and in mainstream theatre. Over the years, Junaid produced and directed numerous documentaries. Through his company Fineline Productions, he produced and directed short films for Channel 4 and the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). He also produced and directed a number of award-winning documentaries for the Discovery Channel, Arte (Europe), SABC and e-tv in South Africa. Ahmed was production manager on the feature, Gandhi My Father in India. His first feature as director, The Vow, was released in 1998, followed by More Than Just a Game in 2007, acquired by Sony Pictures International (SPI) for world-wide distribution. His accolades include Best Sports Documentary at the Milan FICTS Festival for Iqakamba – Hard Ball and Lucky​, BAFTA nominated for Best Short Film and winner Best Short Film at over 40 international film festivals including the Oscar eligible festivals of Clermont Ferrand, Cinequest San Jose and Aspen Shortsfest. Ahmed’s last feature film was Happiness is a Four Letter Word which was released in South Africa in February 2016. He passed away in November 2016 in Durban KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Filmography

The Zanzibaris (1996)
Iqakamba - Hard Ball (1996)
The Vow (1998)
The Zulu Messengers (1998)
Trancing in Dreamtime (2004)
More Than Just a Game (2007)
Happiness is a Four Letter Word (2016)