Of South Asian Muslim ancestry, Ian Iqbal Rashid is a true child of the Commonwealth. Born of Indian extraction, he grew up in Toronto and moved to London, England when he was 26 years old where he lives with his Australian partner Peter Ride. His his first feature film was 2004's romantic comedy Touch of Pink. Before that, he wrote widely for British television including the critically acclaimed cult hit series This Life, which won every major UK television prize including the BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Award and the Writers' Guild of England Award. His two short films: Surviving Sabu and Stag played to festival acclaim around the world and won several prizes including the jury prize at the Out on Screen Festival in Vancouver and at the Zanzibar Film Festival. In addition to his work as a screenwriter and director, Rashid is a poet. His first collection, Black Markets, White Boyfriends and Other Acts of Elusion (1991) was nominated for the Gerald Lampert Prize in Canada. In 1998, Rashid was given the Aga Khan Award of Excellence for the arts. He is currently developing film and television projects in Canada, the U.S., and in the U.K., including a Bollywood-style musical television series for the BBC.
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