Senain Kheshgi

Senain Kheshgi is a South Asian American filmmaker who has gained recognition for her exceptional directorial and production skills. She has directed multiple feature and short films, among which are the award-winning “PROJECT KASHMIR” (PBS/Independent Lens) and the three-time Emmy-nominated documentary “THE DIPLOMAT” (ESPN). Senain also created, wrote, and directed the comedic docu-web series “DIVAS OF KARACHI” (PBS) and a series of virtual reality films about Syrian and Afghan refugees for Facebook, Johnson & Johnson, and Save the Children. She most recently served as Executive Producer on “A BROKEN HOUSE” a short documentary directed by Jimmy Goldblum that was shortlisted for an Academy Award and the Amazon Prime Series, “FUTURE FORWARD” a series of 6 short films about climate change, directed by Academy and Emmy winning directors.

 In 2018, Senain founded the production company MAJORITY, an auteur-driven studio that supports women and diverse filmmakers to mentor, develop, produce, and create innovative documentary, fiction, commercial, and branded productions. Senain’s films have premiered at various film festivals globally, including Tribeca Film Festival, International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), and The Human Rights Watch Film Festival (NY and London). Her works have been broadcast on notable platforms such as PBS/Independent Lens, Amazon Prime, ESPN, A&E, Discovery, and CNN.

 As a three-time Sundance Fellow and a Tribeca All Access Fellow, Senain is also committed to mentoring and supporting emerging filmmakers. She has been a mentor for the CAAM Fellowship, the Firelight Media Lab, Hot Docs Blue Ice, the Sundance Women and Film Financing Lab and has served on juries and as a guest speaker for various film festivals and industry events aimed at nurturing diverse talent in the film industry. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, where she serves on the Executive Committee for the Documentary Branch, and the Television Academy (Primetime Emmys) where she is on the Board of Governor representing Documentary Programming. Senain previously served on the Board of the International Documentary Association from 2008 to 2016.

 In addition to her extensive experience and accomplishments in the film industry, Senain is known for her dedication to telling stories that shed light on human rights issues. She has tackled topics such as Kashmiri independence, refugee crises, and the lives of marginalized communities in her films, bringing attention to important social and political issues.