Baktash Ahadi

Films

Selected documentary and narrative work exploring identity, conflict, displacement, and the human capacity for resilience and connection.

  • Still from Almost American

    Almost American

    Short Documentary | Producer

    For Sam, America has always been home. Yet without a pathway to citizenship, he—like more than half a million DACA recipients—lives in a state of permanent uncertainty, dependent on a temporary status renewed every two years. When Sam's mother is suddenly deported, he is forced to confront his own precarious reality through a new lens. Almost American is an intimate portrait of belonging, family separation, and the quiet resilience required to live in limbo in the only country one has ever known.

    World Premiere — Big Sky Film Festival
  • Still from Champions of the Golden Valley

    Champions of the Golden Valley

    Documentary Feature | Producer

    Executive Produced by Malala Yousafzai and Arian Moayed, Champions of the Golden Valley is one of the most decorated documentaries of its year. Following its World Premiere at Tribeca, the film garnered more than 40 Jury and Audience Awards, including 18 Grand Prizes. Set in the remote mountain villages of Bamyan, Afghanistan, the film follows young skiers from rival ethnic groups brought together by a makeshift race organized by coach Alishah Farhang. What begins as a story of sport becomes a meditation on unity, joy, and resilience.

    40+ Awards18 Grand PrizesTribeca World Premiere
  • Still from Hollywoodgate

    Hollywoodgate

    Documentary Feature | Co-Executive Producer

    Shortlisted for the Academy Awards® (2025), Hollywoodgate is an unprecedented and audacious documentary following director Ibrahim Nash'at during the year he spent embedded with the Taliban after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Filmed at immense personal risk, the documentary tracks Taliban leaders as they attempt to transform from a fundamentalist militia into a modern military regime—employing Hollywood-style propaganda to reshape their image. The result is a chilling examination of power, perception, and narrative warfare.

    World Premiere — Venice International Film FestivalAcademy Award® Shortlist (2025)
  • Still from Retrograde

    Retrograde

    Documentary Feature | Executive Producer

    Retrograde offers a cinematic and historic window into the final months of America's twenty-year war in Afghanistan, capturing its human and moral costs from operational command rooms to the chaotic Kabul airport. The National Geographic Films documentary premiered at the Telluride Film Festival and was met with widespread critical acclaim. It was shortlisted for an Academy Award®, nominated for DGA and PGA Awards, and received six Emmy® nominations, winning for Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary, Cinematography, and Editing.

    Academy Award® Shortlist3 Emmy® AwardsEdward R. Murrow AwardGrierson Trust Award
  • Still from On the Mountain

    On the Mountain

    Short Narrative | Producer & Executive Producer

    Inspired by true events, On the Mountain is a quiet, poignant story of sacrifice, resilience, and the enduring power of hope. The film follows one woman's determination to rebuild her life and continue her mission of education despite upheaval and loss. It serves as a tribute to refugees and educators who persist—lighting a path forward even in the darkest moments.

    Best Film (Nominee) — Regina International Film Festival & Awards 2024
  • Still from Frame by Frame

    Frame by Frame

    Documentary Feature | Associate Producer, Translator & Impact Producer

    Frame by Frame is a vivid and timely portrait of a country reclaiming its voice. Following its World Premiere at South by Southwest (SXSW), the film went on to screen internationally, earning significant recognition for its intimate and urgent storytelling. Set in post-Taliban Afghanistan, the documentary follows four Afghan photojournalists navigating the emergence of a free press in a rapidly changing and increasingly dangerous media landscape. As they risk their lives to document daily realities, their work reframes Afghanistan not only for the world, but for themselves—revealing the power of image-making as an act of authorship, resistance, and truth-telling.

    World Premiere — SXSW Film FestivalBest Documentary Feature — Camden International Film Festival
  • Still from Mediha

    Mediha

    Documentary Feature | Consulting Producer

    Mediha is a powerful testament to survival and self-authorship. Turning the camera on herself, Mediha Ibrahim Alhamad documents her trauma while searching for family members missing after the Sinjar massacre. Written and directed by Hasan Oswald, the film won the Grand Jury Prize at DOC NYC and stands as an intimate portrait of resilience, agency, and remembrance.

    World Premiere — DOC NYCGrand Jury Prize — DOC NYC
  • Still from America's Veterans: The War Within

    America's Veterans: The War Within

    Documentary Feature | Consulting Producer

    America's Veterans: The War Within is a searching and intimate examination of the psychological aftermath of modern warfare. Directed by Deeyah Khan, the film centers the voices of U.S. veterans grappling with moral injury, loss, and the enduring consequences of combat. Traveling from Alabama to Washington, Khan creates space for deeply personal conversations about violence, dehumanization, and the long shadow war casts—both on those who served and on civilian populations still bearing emotional scars from conflicts fought in their name.

    Nominated for Best Current Affairs Programme — Broadcast Awards 2025