Alexander Farah is an Afghan-Canadian director known for his steadfast commitment to emotionally resonant stories exploring identity, family and relationships. He recently wrote and directed “One Day This Kid,” a coming-of-age story about a Middle Eastern man, finding his voice and identity through the reconciliation with his queerness.
Alex “fell into” the medium after taking a film studies elective course at UBC, while he was pursuing a Bachelor of Science. After developing a sincere admiration for the art and craft of filmmaking, he decided to chase his passion head-on at Emily Carr University, where he eventually obtained a Bachelor of Fine Art in Film, Video and Integrated Media. After graduating, Alex went on to York University to continue with the pursuit of an MFA in Film.
Alex has spent over a decade of his film career as an editor, working on a wide variety of narrative, commercial, music video and documentary projects. These projects have screened across the globe, at festivals including TIFF, Berlinale, SXSW, Telluride, Palm Springs and Clermont-Ferrand. His work has garnered half a dozen Vimeo staff picks, Canadian Screen Awards, and attracted press from Nowness, D&AD, Shots and Director’s Notes.
Alex’s previously directed music video, “Meet You At The Light,” which explores the relationship between a South Asian diabetic man and his caregiving daughter—won both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Choice Award at SXSW, as well as the prestigious International Grand Prix at the Kinsale Shark Awards. This project was also nominated for a UK Music Video Award in a newcomer category stacked with the likes of Lizzo, Rosalía and Tove Lo.
When he’s not directing or editing films, Alex takes great pride in consuming an unhealthy amount of reality TV, playing soccer, perusing SoundCloud, baking new recipes, and curating new home goods to add to his Kits apartment.
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Which neighbourhood are you in?
I’m currently a few years into living in Kits. I had a bit of resistance to the neighbourhood at first, but after a few summers spent here, spoiled by the walkable proximity to the water, I don’t think I’d enjoy living anywhere else in Vancouver. I grew up in an area called Queensborough, which serves as a bit of a connector between Richmond and New Westminster and have spent most of my life bouncing around different suburbs in the Lower Mainland.
What do you do?
I work as a director and editor, primarily on film and commercial projects. For me, no two months ever look the same. I have a love/hate relationship with the unpredictability of it all, but it truly is the name of the game. I’ve worked on commercials as short as 15 seconds, and films as long as 1.5 hours. Filmmaking is a very special craft, and I find that working as a director teaches me a lot about myself as a person and specifically, the ways in which I am able to connect to the people around me.
What are you currently working on?
I recently wrapped my short film, One Day This Kid, written, directed and edited by myself. It’s premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival this fall, with subsequent screenings at the Vancouver International Film Festival and Montreal’s Festival du Nouveau Cinema. As far as what’s next — I’ll be writing my first feature film, and, in the immediate future, editing a number of short-form projects throughout the fall/winter.
Where can we find your work?
A selection of my work is available to view on my website, while most of my updates are posted on my Instagram.
