Iram Parveen Bilal

A global citizen, Iram is an award-winning empathic creator excited to tell thought-provoking stories that are socially impactful and envision an inclusive world. Bilal has quickly become a voice to reckon with in the Muslim community and on the World Cinema stage. Invested in "raising while rising", her past films have led to measurable shifts in causes they championed. She has not only formed initiatives to uplift her community in film and tech but has also championed causes that are traditionally unpopular to support. Bilal initiated the formation of the Pakistani Oscar committee and is the founder of QALAMBAAZ, Pakistan's first professional screenwriting lab, now in year ten. Iram is also an active mentor for women in film and tech. Spotlighted as 1 of 8 directors to watch by the Alliance of Women Directors, a board member of the Film Fatales, she is also a Film Independent, Watson fellow and multiple-time Women in Film awardee. She has been profiled by the New York Times, and featured on NPR, BBC, Bloomberg, and Filmmaker Magazine among others. She is a proud graduate of Caltech and the USC Peter Stark Program. When she isn't telling stories, she is dancing to Bollywood tunes or nerding out with fellow Caltech engineers. She believes genuine curiosity is the only antidote to fear. Her biggest and boldest work to date, is the feature film WAKHRI (English Title: One of a Kind) which just returned from a critically successful World Premiere at the Red Sea Intl. Film Festival and a nationwide theatrical release in Pakistan are all set for a North American premiere in the prestigious Narrative Spotlight Section at SXSW 2024.