Shakila Taranum Maan has been part of the British arts scene since the mid-seventies. In this time she has written, produced and directed plays for her own and other theatre companies, before venturing into film production and directing. In 1991, Shakila graduated from the London College of Printing with a degree in Film and Video Production.

Over the past fifteen years, Shakila has written and directed three feature films, for which she successfully sold the world rights. She has also co-produced, written and directed four short films. “Ferdous”, her graduation film, won Best Art Film at the Latin American Film Festival and was screened worldwide in Melbourne, Los Angeles, New York, and the Tate Gallery and National Film Theatre in London. In 2001, Shakila collected the Pierre Cardin Award for Best Art Film at the Asolo Film Festival, with “Alone Together”, a documentary she wrote and directed. She has also produced, written and directed several corporate videos.

In the 1980’s, financed by the Greater London Council, Shakila founded The Southall Asian and Afro-Caribbean Arts Collective, to support and develop the work of artists in West London. In this capacity, she mentored and advised artists on their career aspirations, and directed, reviewed and organised their work for exhibition. She then promoted and curated these events, and went on to coordinate UK exhibitions and performances for artists from the sub-continent. Shakila has also been Community Arts Coordinator of the National Association of Asian Youth. In this role, she arranged concerts and tours for international classical and folk artists, in venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, the Commonwealth Institute and the Royal Festival Hall.

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