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. 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.