Originally from Pakistan, MAHAK JIWANI is a producer and writer based in New York. A graduate of the Creative Producing program at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Arts, Jiwani has produced short films all over the world including US, Japan, Chile, and Pakistan. In 2019 she produced Darling which won the Orizzonti Award for Best Short Film at Venice Film Festival, a first for a Pakistani film. The film also screened at Toronto International Film Festival and was awarded special jury recognition at SXSW 2020. 

Her previous films include: Premonición in Chile (Chacho Pallero Award at Huesca International Film Festival, Aspen ShortFest, Palm Springs Film Festival), Yume (Singapore International Film Festival, Best Director Award at Imagine Film Festival), Horizon (GiGadgets Technology Award), and Congratulations (Santiago International Film Festival).

Jiwani received the Katharina Otto Bernstein Award in 2018 for Darling and was a finalist for the Debra Hill Fellowship sponsored by Producers Guild of America. Her work has received support from Focus Features and IFP. Jiwani is currently developing her features Shadow and Boy on Fire.