Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Urdu: شرمین عبید چنائے; born November 12, 1978) is a Canadian-Pakistani journalist, filmmaker and political activist known for her work in films that highlight gender inequality against women.
Obaid-Chinoy is slated to direct an upcoming Star Wars film, which is set to feature a returning Daisy Ridley as Rey.
[6] Upon moving to the United States for higher education, she studied at Smith College, from where she completed her bachelor's degree in Economics and Government in 2002.
Her most notable films include Children of the Taliban, The Lost Generation, Afghanistan Unveiled, 3 Bahadur, Song of Lahore and the Academy Award-winning Saving Face and A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness.
[43] In September 2015, Broad Green Pictures[44] acquired the U.S. distribution rights to Song of Lahore announcing the release of the film in select cinemas in the U.S.
In October 2015 the film was submitted for consideration in the documentary feature category for the 2016 Oscars by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
On 11 September 2015, Journey of a Thousand Miles: Peacekeepers[51] Obaid-Chinoy's feature documentary, co-directed and produced with Geeta Gandbhir, screened at the Toronto International Film Festival[52][53] 2015 for its North American premiere.
On 15 February 2016, Obaid-Chinoy met with the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif in Islamabad to discuss the measures required to plug legal loopholes which allow the perpetrators of honour killings to walk free.
On 17 February 2016, the film screened at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City as part of a discussion of women and peacekeeping.
[58] On 28 February 2016, A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness won Obaid-Chinoy a second Oscar for Best Documentary, Short Subject at the 88th Academy Awards.
"At great personal risk, Obaid-Chinoy and al Masri faced terrorism head on, getting behind the scenes to chronicle untold abuses", said ICFJ President Joyce Barnathan.
[75] The award by the ICFJ recognises media professionals who demonstrate a passionate commitment to excellent reporting that makes a difference in the lives of people around the world.
Obaid-Chinoys' work in highlighting legal loopholes around the practice of honour killing led to legislative change in Pakistan.
[77][78][79][80] In 2018, Obaid-Chinoy spoke at TED in Vancouver about the impact of mobile cinema which has been traveling across Pakistan screening films for small towns and communities in all provinces.
[91] In September 2022, Patakha Pictures, founded by Obaid-Chinoy, launched "Pakistan Stories" in collaboration with the Scottish Documentary Institute and the British Council.
[92] In October 2022, it was reported that Obaid-Chinoy would be directing an untitled film set in the Star Wars universe, written by Steven Knight,[93] from a previous draft by Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson.
[94] In April 2023, Disney officially announced during the Star Wars Celebration convention that Obaid-Chinoy would direct the film, set 15 years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker, and with Daisy Ridley back as Rey.
It features interviews with her family, Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Barry Diller, Anderson Cooper, Mark Jacobs, archival footage, as well as telling her mother's story as a Holocaust survivor.