Dr Awa Farah

Dr Awa Farah is an award winning filmmaker, scholar and keynote speaker whose work explores migration, socio economic mobility and identity with rare insight. A Cambridge University scholar and BAFTA winning filmmaker, she has become a leading voice in documenting displacement, belonging and the contemporary Black Muslim diaspora. Her films and research bring urgency, clarity and humanity to subjects that are often overlooked, making her a compelling presence on stage and a trusted commentator on some of today’s most significant social questions.

Awa’s journey began with a desire to challenge restrictive portrayals of Somali identity. While completing an MPhil and later a PhD at the University of Cambridge, she examined the lived realities of mobility and inequality through both academic research and creative work. During this time she co-created the documentary Somalinimo, a film developed for the Guardian and funded by the BFI Doc Society, which captured the stories of Somali women navigating Cambridge’s deeply traditional environment. Awa went on to teach at Cambridge, the London School of Economics and the University of the Arts London, where she also served as an AKO Storytelling Fellow. These roles shaped her ability to translate complex social themes into accessible, engaging narratives that resonate with wide audiences.

Awa’s achievements span film, academia and community leadership. Her documentary The Real Mo Farah earned BAFTA, Grierson and Rose d’Or awards, recognising its powerful exploration of the Olympic champion’s hidden history of migration. She later created Surviving Black Hawk Down for Netflix, an archival investigation that deepened her reputation for sensitive, rigorous storytelling. Somalinimo screened at the Aesthetica Film Festival and contributed to national conversations on culture, belonging and representation. Beyond film, Awa received Cambridge’s Vice Chancellor’s Award for Social Impact and the Roehampton Social Impact Award. She founded the Siman Foundation, an organisation supporting educational access for refugees and immigrants, and has held research and advisory positions across Cambridge, the House of Commons and the Somali Embassy. Her published work in The Sociological Review and contributions to British Academy volumes reinforce her status as a leading scholar in migration and diaspora studies.

Audiences hire Awa for her clarity, empathy and ability to link personal stories to global systems. She speaks on diversity and inclusion, mobility, race, social inequality, intersectionality and representation. These topics continue to shape workplaces and public life, and Awa’s blend of scholarship, filmmaking and lived experience gives audiences a grounded understanding of the forces shaping our world. Her talks help organisations think more deeply about culture, belonging and opportunity, while inspiring people to engage with these issues in informed and compassionate ways.