Ian Iqbal Rashid

Of South Asian Muslim ancestry Ian Iqbal Rashid is a true child of the Commonwealth Born of Indian extraction he grew up in Toronto and moved to London England when he was 26 years old where he lives with his Australian partner Peter Ride His his first feature film was 2004s romantic comedy iTouch of Pinki Before that he wrote widely for British television including the critically acclaimed cult hit series iThis Lifei which won every major UK television prize including the BAFTA British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award and the Writers Guild of England Award His two short films iSurviving Sabui and iStagi played to festival acclaim around the world and won several prizes including the jury prize at the Out on Screen Festival in Vancouver and at the Zanzibar Film Festival In addition to his work as a screenwriter and director Rashid is a poet His first collection iBlack Markets White Boyfriends and Other Acts of Elusioni 1991 was nominated for the Gerald Lampert Prize in Canada In 1998 Rashid was given the Aga Khan Award of Excellence for the artsbrbrbr