riter and director is an award-winning novelist, SHAMIM SARIF screenwriter and director for film and TV. She is also a long-time advocate for the rights of women and the LGBTQ+ community. W Her new book, The Athena Protocol, is a feminist thriller released by HarperCollins in October 2019 as the first in a Young Adult series. The book is currently being developed for the screen.

Shamim’s most recent feature as writer/director is , which released in the US in March 2017. The movie stars and and is based on her acclaimed second novel set in Cold War Moscow, published by St Martin’s Press and Hodder. The movie garnered 13 awards.

Her first feature film as writer/director, I Can’t Think Straight won 11 awards. Her follow up movie The World Unseen based on her award-winning book, debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival before garnering 23 awards internationally. Her third film, a documentary called The House of Tomorrow, was shot on location in Jerusalem.

Shamim’s next film project is Polarized; a contemporary love story between two women from very different sides of small town America. She is also working on a musical of I Can’t Think Straight and developing a number of TV and film projects. She directed hit Canadian/British TV show, Murdoch Mysteries, in fall 2019.

An accomplished speaker, Shamim has spoken at TED events worldwide, at the INK Conference in India and DLD in Munich. Corporate speaking events have included Deloitte, Goldman Sachs, Citibank and Disney. ‘Shamim is intellectual, she’s smart, she’s funny, she’s bright – Shamim is a member of BAFTA and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and when I read her script, it was and Sciences. almost musical. We just clicked.’ – Rebecca Ferguson, Actress, Despite the Falling Snow TRAILER LINKS: TALK LINKS: Despite the Falling Snow Stories We Tell Ourselves The World Unseen Why Art Matters ‘Shamim is an actor’s director I Can’t Think Straight The Power of Imagination and that’s relatively rare. The House of Tomorrow I really love working with her.’ – , Actress, The World Unseen & I Can’t Think Straight Click here for: Shamim’s Latest Showreel FEATURE FILMS DESPITE THE WORLD THE FALLING SNOW UNSEEN WRITER/DIRECTOR WRITER/DIRECTOR

‘If you liked Brooklyn, you’ll love this film.’ ‘Visual poetry’ – Now Magazine – – Variety –

Click here for: Despite the Falling Snow Click here for: The World Unseen I CAN’T THINK THE HOUSE OF STRAIGHT TOMORROW WRITER/DIRECTOR WRITER/DIRECTOR

‘Sensual, witty and elegant... in exploring the eternal conflict‘ The House of Tomorrow takes a new approach to an old conflict, between love and duty in a fresh, provocative way, Sarif inspired by the forward vision of extraordinary women changing .’demonstrates that she is a filmmaker of exceptional promise.’ their own worlds one step at a time – LA Times –

Click here for: I Can’t Think Straight Click here for: The House of Tomorrow EPISODIC TV DEVELOPMENT TV DIRECTING

EXCLUSIVE: Village Roadshow Entertainment Group has acquired the rights to Shamim Sarif’s all-female YA thriller novel The Athena Protocol to develop as a television series.

he Athena Protocol features six female protago- nists, led by Jessie, a hot-headed young agent Tat Athena, a top secret, socially-conscious vigilante organization focused on helping women and children worldwide. When Jessie breaks protocol and assas- sinates a target, she’s ousted from Athena just as her teammates set out to take down a human trafficker in Belgrade. Going rogue in order to prove herself, Jes- sie finds there’s no-one to watch her back as she gets MURDOCH MYSTERIES closer to the horrifying truth behind the mission. OCTOBER 2019 Sarif will write the pilot and is attached to direct on the project. Along with her producing partner, Hanan Kattan, she will executive produce alongside Village Roadshow.

The book was published by HarperCollins in October to rave reviews, with a se- quel, The Shadow Mission, coming in October 2020.

Sarif is an award-winning novelist, screenwriter and director for film and TV, whose three features as writer/director, Despite the Falling Snow, I Can’t Think Straight and The World Unseen, all produced by Kattan, have won 47 interna- tional awards. She is repped by Adam Peck of Synchronicity Management, law- yer Jeffrey Finkelstein of Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein & Lezcano. Book rights are handled by Sophie Hicks in London. NOVELIST

Ian McEwan presents Shamim with the Betty Trask Award. Shamim receiving a Pendleton May First Novel Award

WINNER OF WINNER OF THE BETTY TRASK AWARD THE PENDLETON MAY FIRST NOVEL AWARD NEW FROM HARPERCOLLINS

OCTOBER 2019 OCTOBER 2020 ‘Led by and centered on ‘This riveting, female- women, this high-octane centered romp includes thriller features a well- diverse characters—African developed cast with distinct, American, Palestinian, varied backgrounds. An South Asian British—who explosively exciting story have layered and complex that shines a light on the backstories. Jessie examines treatment, mistreatment, her privilege with occasional and unity of women across flippant snark and questions the globe.’ global power dynamics and – Booklist the treatment of women around the world… Thrillingly representative female ‘A fascinating and action- empowerment.’ packed read that features – Kirkus Reviews some incredible female characters with broad appeal for fans of thrillers and spy ‘Lots of edge-of-your-seat stories… a must-read.’ moments. A perfectly paced – YA Books Central plot and girls with brains and Mission Impossible– style moves make this a ‘…an inclusive cast, ample highly engaging thriller. A action, and escalating stakes… breathlessly cinematic Jessie’s conflicted attraction series opener.’ rings true, and a gratifying – School Library Journal conclusion hints at emotional complexities to come.’ – Publisher’s Weekly PREVIOUS NOVELS

‘A perfectly balanced novel of love ‘...A brilliantly executed, romantic, sexy, WINNER OF THE BETTY TRASK and tragedy...brutally shocking...’ and heart-warming page-turner... AWARD AND THE PENDLETON MAY – Waterstones Magazine The only thing to not like about the FIRST NOVEL AWARD book is that it had to end...’ – CherryGrrl.com ‘Pretty perfect… An absolute must read.’ – The Citizen SPEAKING Watch: The Stories We Tell Ourselves INK Conference, 2015

Watch: Why Art Matters INK Conference, India

Watch: The Power of Imagination TEDxHolyLand, Jerusalem

Speaking Engagements Include: TedSalon, London TEDxHolyLand, Jerusalem INK Conference, India DLD, Munich Goldman Sachs, London Viacom, New York Citi, London Deloitte, London Women in Film, London Hilton, NY BNY Mellon, NY Disney ‘Because it’s not just writers ‘Knowledge tells us more ‘Stories can be even more Credit Suisse and filmmakers who create of what we already know. than a reflection of our world stories. We all create, every Imagination pushes us to and our humanity, if we let day, the stories that shape create that which does not them. At their best, they can who we are.’ yet exist.’ also teach us who we could – Shamim Sarif, INK Conference – Shamim Sarif, TEDx HolyLand be – if we dare.’ – Shamim Sarif, INK Conference SHAMIM IN THE MEDIA DIRECT CONTACT: [email protected] +44 7766 660705 (mobile)

MANAGER: AGENT (BOOKS): AGENT (FILM & TV, CANADA): Adam Peck, Synchronicity Management Sophie Hicks, Sophie Hicks Agency Sohrab Merchant, The Characters [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

PR (FILM): ATTORNEY: PR (BOOKS): Melody Korenbrot, Block Korenbrot Jeffrey S. Finkelstein, Jill Siegel PR [email protected] Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein & Lezcano [email protected] [email protected]

LINKS: Shamim’s Latest ShowReel Despite the Falling Snow Trailer The World Unseen Trailer I Can’t Think Straight Trailer The House of Tomorrow Trailer

TALKS: ‘The Stories We Tell Ourselves’ – INK Conference, 2015 ‘Why Art Matters’ – INK Conference, India ‘The Power of Imagination’ – TEDxHolyLand, Jerusalem

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