Ana Juri

FARHAN UMEDALY
Farhan Umedaly is an award-winning filmmaker best known for his
films about social causes.
Farhan has a background in neurobiology and has worked as a
consultant for renewable energy developments before establishing
VoVo Productions in 2009. The original focus of the company was to
produce videos that enable clean-tech and renewable energy
companies to realize their business objectives. Since then, VoVo
Productions has diversified, having produced more than 200
promotional videos and commercials for leading companies and nonprofits such as the David Suzuki Foundation, to help create positive
change. Farhan works alongside groups such as ISSofBC, Vancouver
Foundation, and Access to Media and Education Society to provide
mentorship in filmmaking to marginalized communities such as Syrian
refugees and indigenous communities. He is best known for his
indigenous focused documentaries - ‘A Last Stand for Lelu’, and more
recently ‘HA NII TOKXW: OUR FOOD TABLE’. He recently was a Producer, Assistant Director and Director of Photography for the
acclaimed Hollywood feature ‘Best F(r)iends’ which was purchased by Lionsgate Films. He is also the Producer and creator of the
Netflix documentary ‘Brave Blue World’. In 2017, founded the Empowered Filmmaker Masterclass, an intensive, hands-on
educational program that has trained more than 425+ indigenous participants to be self-sufficient filmmakers. He is also an
instructor at Simon Fraser University within the Beedie School of Business and a guest lecturer on the topic of Human Rights -
International Studies program.
The son of refugees to Canada from Uganda, Farhan is committed to building alliances with indigenous communities through
providing professional training and mentorship in filmmaking; an area of great opportunity as well as a powerful tool to give
voices to those who have important stories to tell.
AWARDS
Kuala Lumpur Eco Film Festival - Best Documentary Short (2016)
Top Ten Must See Documentaries - Asian Film Festivals (2016)
Chagrin Documentary Film Festival - Official Selection (2016)
Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival - 7 Must see films at VIMFF (2016)
Hollywood Independent Documentary Awards - Winner (2016)
Canadian Diversity Film Festival - Best Documentary (2016)
One Nation Film Festival - Best Documentary (2017)
IndieFEST - Award of Excellence & Award of Merit with Special Mention (2017)
IndieFEST - Humanitarian Award with Special Mention (2017)
Freeland Film Festival - Best Short Jury Award (2018)
Planet in Focus - Best Canadian Short (2018)
Mayday Film Festival - Best Cinematography - Best F(r)iends VOL 1 (2018)
Hollywood International Independent Documentary Awards - Winner (2019)
Quetzalcoatl Indigenous International Film Festival - Winner (2019)
Audience Awards - Official Selection (2019)
Freeland Film Festival - Official Selection (2019)
United Nations Association Film Festival (UNAFF) - Official Selection (2019)
Canada Shorts - Canadian & International Short Film Fest - Finalist (2019)
Canada Shorts - Canadian & International Short Film Fest - Award of Excellence (2019)
Vancouver International South Asian Film Festival - Official Selection (2019)
Waterdocs Film Festival - Official Selection (2021)
Toronto Independent Film Festival of CIFT - Best Short Film (2021)
Freeland Film Festival - Special Mention (2022)
London Eco Film Festival - Best Documentary (2022)
Chagrin Documentary Film Festival - Official Selection (2022)
International Activism Film Festival - Best Documentary (2022)
Wildlife Conservation Film Festival - Official Selection (2022)
Vancouver Independent Film Festival - Finalist (2022)
Antakya International Film Festival - Best International Documentary (2022)
BC Environmental Film Festival - Finalist (2022)
tve Global Sustainability Film Awards - Top 4 Impact Documentary (2022)
International South Asian Film Festival - Best Documentary (2022)
Vancouver Asian Film Festival - Official Selection (2023)
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
For the past 5 years, thanks to TELUS STORYHIVE, The Empowered Filmmaker Masterclass was able to certify and train 325+ new
indigenous filmmakers throughout BC and Alberta. Our program is a hands-on 5-day intensive filmmaking workshop where
participants produce their own short documentaries in just 5 days using state-of-the-art film gear. On Monday, participants don’t
have any experience making films, yet by Friday we are screening their films with the community at our very own film festival and
awards ceremony alongside the community and elders. Participants receive official certifications, ongoing mentorship, camera
giveaways and become eligible for grants up to $100,000.The indigenous communities we serve have undergone a great deal of damage due to the impacts of
colonization and particularly from Canada’s residential schools which
were active until just decades ago. We believe in building capacity for
filmmaking and media production within indigenous communities so
they can do the necessary work they need to do to help restore their
language, culture and protect our shared world. Filmmaking also works
completely in alignment with indigenous oral traditions.
This program is enabling the stories of elders to be immortalized for
future generations and many youths who otherwise felt disconnected or
isolated have now been given voices to build bridges and share their lived
experiences with the world. Our participants range in age from 14 to 75+.