Tarique Qayumi
Film TV Director
DGC • MFA (UCLA)Represented by
Meridian Artists
AllegianceA star rookie police officer must grapple with the limits of the justice system as she fights to exonerate her politician father and serve her diverse hometown of Surrey.Watch NowCBC Season 02 Episode 09
Black KiteIn Taliban-controlled Kabul, a father risks everything to fly kites with his daughter — defying a regime that has banned joy from the skies.Watch TrailerTIFF Premiere · Amazon Studios · 3 Leo Awards
Conceiving ClaraA trauma therapist is forced to confront her own buried past when a new client reopens wounds she thought had long healed.Watch TrailerOfficial Selection – Canadian Film Festival 2025
Over The Next HillZaby (12), a refugee escaping the Taliban, struggles to gain his independence from his Mother on a dangerous journey across the Afghan mountains hidden in the back of a truck.Coming SoonCanada Arts Council • BC Arts Council • Shore Scripts Fund
About
Tarique Qayumi's dramatic escape from Afghanistan, hidden in the back of the truck with his mother, inspired him to be a storyteller. He was part of the 2023 Warner Access x Academy Directing Program, enabling him to direct on CBC's Allegiance.His second feature, "Black Kite," a historical drama blending animation, documentary, and live-action, premiered at TIFF in 2017, screened at 20 festivals, and won three Leo Awards for Best Writer, Best Direction, and Best Picture. It was sold to Amazon Studios.Qayumi recently completed his third feature film, Conceiving Clara, in partnership with Telefilm. His TV series pitch, "Kabul Kitchen," won the Creator of Colour Incubator at TIFF '21 and received pre-development funding from CBC. This year, he returned as a mentor at Whistler Film Festival Screenwriting Labs.Qayumi loves working with actors and is grateful to his mentor, Judith Weston. He also found shooting his short film, Mara’s World, on a virtual production stage rewarding.Early in his career, Qayumi worked on popular TV shows in Afghanistan, including Truth Unveiled, The Defenders, and Sesame Street, significantly impacting local culture.