Mehreen Jabbar

Born in Karachi, Jabbar grew up around Pakistan's show business.^[10] Her father, Javed Jabbar has been a filmmaker, and a very successful ad man apart from being a former Pakistani senator and a cabinet minister. After receiving a BA degree from Saint Joseph's College in Karachi, Jabbar went to the US to study film and completed a two-year program at University of California Los Angeles in 1993, with a Film, Television and Video certificate.^[11][12] She returned to Pakistan, directed and produced drama serials under the banner of TasVeer Productions, almost all of which were critically acclaimed by the Pakistani press.^[13]

Jabbar is a Pakistani-American director who is a 25-year veteran of the industry, with a prolific career as a Director/Producer of gritty, hard-hitting films and TV series for Pakistani and South Asian Television which have earned her both critical and commercial success.^[7] She has also made a number of narrative shorts that have been screened internationally in film festivals as well as on TV. Her award-winning short films and TV dramas include Marhoom Colonel Ki Betiyaan, Beauty Parlor, Doraha, and Daam, amongst others.^[14] In 2008, Mehreen directed her debut feature film Ramchand Pakistani for which she was awarded the ‘Global Film Initiative Grant’.^[14][15] The film premiered in competition at the Tribeca Film Festival and continued a successful festival run.^[16] It was later released theatrically in Pakistan, India and the United Kingdom in 2008-09 to wide critical and audience acclaim.^[17][18][19] ‘Ramchand Pakistani’ was awarded the ‘Fipresci Prize’ by the ‘International Federation of Film Critics’, the ‘Audience Award’ at the ‘Fribourg Film Festival’, Switzerland and an ‘Honorable Mention’ by the 13th Annual Satyajit Ray Award at the London Film Festival.^[14] In 2010, Mehreen was invited to screen her film at the Museum of Modern Art, New York.^[17][20]

Her second feature film Dobara Phir Se which was shot in New York and Karachi had a successful theatrical release in Pakistan, the UK, USA and the UAE in December 2016.^[21]

Jabbar has been a member of the National Board of Film Censors in Karachi, a founding member of the KaraFilm Festival in Karachi, Pakistan and a founder member of the NGO WAR (War Against Rape).^[14] In 2011, she was invited to the Maisha Film Lab in Uganda - a non-profit training lab founded by director Mira Nair to be a directing mentor.^[8] She is the recipient of several awards for her work and has served as a jury member in many local and international film festivals.

Ramchand Pakistani was Jabbar's first feature-length film, which was released in Pakistan, India and the UK to wide critical and audience acclaim. The film premiered in the competition section of the Tribeca Film Festival in New York in 2008. It won the FIPRESCI PRIZE from the International Federation of Film Critics and received Honourable Mention by the 13th Annual Satyajit Ray Awards at the London Film Festival, 2008 as well as the Audience award at the Fribourg International Film Festival. The film recently had a week-long screening at the MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) in New York.

Jabbar directed the web drama series Ek Jhoothi Love Story which was released on ZEE5 in October 2020.^[7][22][23]

• Ramchand Pakistani wins FIPRESCI Award from the International Federation of Film Critics and receives Honourable mention by the 13th Annual Satyajit Ray Awards at the London Film Festival (2008)
• Won – Indus Drama Awards (2004) Best Director for Harjai
• Won – IndusVision Young Achievers Award (2002)
• Won – Kara Film Festival (2001) Best Director & Best medium-length Film for Daughters of the Late Colonel^[34]
• Won – Pakistan Media Award (2010) Best Drama – Satellite Malal
• Nominated - Hum Awards (2012) Best Director for Mata-e-Jaan Hai Tu