Dawood Hilmandi is an Afghan-born filmmaker and artist whose work probes the boundaries of cinematic form. Freedom and creativity are the twin engines of his practice, fueling a deep inquiry into the structures that shape identity and belonging. His acclaimed video essay ‘Me Montage’ opened the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, a testament to its innovative style. This recognition was reinforced when he won the top prize for a feature film project pitch at the Locarno Film Festival in 2017. Hilmandi recently completed his first feature-length Documentary, Paikar, which premiered at IDFA in 2025.