Born in 1985 and raised in London, Daniel Ali's earliest memories are of him behind a camera capturing moments and forming memories.
Drawing inspiration from his multicultural heritage of Pakistan, Wales and Poland - Daniel adopts a broad outlook on life which feeds into his visual language and thrives on reframing narratives at the forefront of cultural and societal discussion through heightened and visceral storytelling. After graduating with a Masters in Artists' Film, Video and Photography, Daniel has spent the last 12 years travelling the globe with a camera strapped to his back pursuing his interests in the documentary world fulfilling his passion for telling real and transformative stories producing several photographic projects after which turning his attention to moving image.
Daniel works in both short and long form documentary as well as the commercial advertising world. His work has been featured on NOWNESS, CNN, BBC, WeTransfer, Vice and many more, he has also been selected for a long list of Oscar and Bafta qualifying film festivals.
Projects
- DemonsWhilst struggling with his addiction to alcohol, Ben Dean turns to the dark side to find sobriety and solace. Dean's spiritual journey and quest for a higher power leads him down an unexpected path where he becomes an inspiration to others, leading them on their own left hand path to sobriety and spiritualism.
- KukeriA rural Bulgarian family fights to keep a millenia-old demon chasing festival alive. The Balkans is home to an ancient pagan tradition where magic and mystery still have a sacred place in the cosmic order. The Kukeri festival has had a strong hold over Bulgarian cultural life since the fifth century, surviving the Ottomans, Christendom and communist rule. Every winter, hundreds of terrifying figures prowl snow-capped forests and village centers in search of evil spirits to dispel from their
- Bosphorus Cymbal MastersIn the outskirts of Istanbul, Bosphorus Cymbals operate a factory where drum cymbals are made by hand using traditional methods dating back to the Ottoman Empire. Bosphorus Cymbal's indisputable reputation precedes them and were even selected as the official cymbals for the film 'Whiplash'. Not only does Bosphorus Cymbals create specialised bespoke hand crafted cymbals, but it is also home to a group of individuals of all ages and different backgrounds, working together, sharing problems and gr
- A MILLION WAVES 'A Million Waves' is about Kadiatu Kamara, or KK, the only female surfer in Sierra Leone at just 19-years-old. When her father died KK was left to face the Ebola epidemic alone but she found escape, and hope, in the surfing community of Bureh Beach, a coastal village just south of the country’s capital of Freetown.
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Projects credited in
- Intern Issue Three: The Education IssueThe Education Issue. Cover photograph 'Making the Jump' by Luke Evans symbolises the soft landing that higher education is supposed to provide graduates with when entering the job market. Pick up your copy here.41
Work history
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Shooting DirectorFreelance
London, United KingdomFreelance
Skills
- Filmmaking
- Photography
- Director of Photography
- Short Film
- Self-shooting
- Shooting Director
- Director
- Film Directing
- Analog Photography
- Creative Documentary
Education
BA(Hons) Photography Media ArtsUniversity for the Creative Arts
United Kingdom
MA Artist’s Film Video and PhotographyUniversity for the Creative Arts
- United Kingdom