About Baktash

Baktash Ahadi is an Emmy Award–winning filmmaker. Through his directing, producing, and writing, he brings to life stories that illuminate the human condition—stories that capture the power of hope, resilience, friendship, especially within contexts of conflict, loss, and love.

His award-winning films have been showcased at notable festivals such as Tribeca, SXSW, Telluride, Toronto Film Festival (TIFF), and DOC NYC, collecting multiple Jury and Audience Awards, Peabody Awards, and multiple Emmys. Two of his films have also made it onto the Oscars shortlist, underscoring his dedication to creating work that resonates deeply with audiences around the globe.

At the heart of his vision lies The Taleem Project — an initiative he founded to bridge cultural divides and spark meaningful dialogue through bold, curiosity-driven storytelling. By connecting seemingly distant worlds, The Taleem Project forges common ground where identity, legacy, and our shared humanity can flourish. Its guiding ethos is that empathy, imagination, curiosity, and courage will shape a more compassionate future for us all.

A former refugee, humanitarian, and interpreter, Baktash draws on his cross-cultural experiences to foster empathy, open dialogue, and meaningful storytelling. He writes, speaks, and teaches regularly on individual, organizational, and societal change, driven by the belief that understanding one another’s stories can transform how we see the world—and ourselves.

Baktash welcomes new opportunities for collaboration. Get in touch at baktash.ahadi@gmail.com to explore how storytelling can transform our world together.

Baktash's Story

The tragic events of 9/11 set Baktash on a path of examining why people do what they do. Upon graduation from college, he decided to serve in the Peace Corps as an educator in a rural village in Mozambique. His father learned English from a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kandahar in the 1960s and that experience was the inspiration for his family to come to the United States.

After completing his service in the Peace Corps, Baktash went back to Afghanistan, the country of his birth, to serve as a combat interpreter and cultural advisor for three years supporting military and reconstruction efforts throughout the country. This life-changing experience put his Afghan-American identity on the front line on the War on Terror in Afghanistan.

His lived experience as a former refugee, humanitarian, and combat interpreter shapes his understanding of living between different cultures, which informs his empathetic and creative approach to engagement, storytelling, and meaningful conversations. He writes, speaks, and teaches regularly about individual, organizational, and societal change.