{{Short description|Canadian filmmaker}} '''Ian Singh Bawa''' is a Canadian filmmaker from Winnipeg, Manitoba.<ref>Randall King, [https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/2020/09/10/filmmaker-gets-personal-in-tiff-short-film "Filmmaker gets personal in TIFF short film"]. ''Winnipeg Free Press'', September 10, 2020.</ref>
A graduate of the film studies program at the University of Winnipeg and the Director's Lab at the Canadian Film Centre, he began his filmmaking career as a director of short films and episodes of television documentary series, becoming best known for his 2020 short film ''Strong Son''.<ref name=cbc>[https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/ian-bawa-strong-son-winnipeg-tiff-1.5722651 "Winnipeg filmmaker gets personal in TIFF short film 'Strong Son'"]. CBC News Manitoba, September 14, 2020.</ref> Based on his own relationship with his father Jagdeep, ''Strong Son'' starred his father as a dad giving life and relationship advice to his son (Mandeep Sodhi) while the son is exercising in a gym.<ref name=cbc/> However, his father died a few weeks after the film's premiere at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival.<ref>Ian Bawa, [https://www.cbc.ca/radio/nowornever/where-are-they-now-lessons-learned-after-life-changing-moments-1.6377354/my-big-break-was-a-film-about-my-dad-then-he-passed-away-1.6378775 "My big break was a film about my dad. Then he passed away"]. ''Now or Never'', March 10, 2022.</ref>
He was subsequently co-director with Quan Luong of the 2022 documentary film ''Seeking Fire''.<ref>Ben Waldman, [https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/2024/05/22/tailors-tale-custom-fit-for-local-filmmaker "Tailor’s tale custom fit for local filmmaker"]. ''Winnipeg Free Press'', May 22, 2024.</ref>
In 2024 he released two short films, ''My Son Went Quiet'' and ''The Best''. ''The Best'' featured Sodhi reprising his bodybuilder character from ''Strong Son'', again working out in the gym as he tries to cope with his grief over his father's death,<ref>Randall King, [https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/2024/09/05/manitoba-credits-roll-at-tiff "Manitoba credits roll at TIFF"]. ''Winnipeg Free Press'', September 5, 2024.</ref> while ''My Son Went Quiet'' was inspired by Bawa's relationship with his father following the earlier death of his mother.<ref>Collin Souter, [https://www.rogerebert.com/features/short-films-in-focus-my-son-went-quiet "Short Films in Focus: My Son Went Quiet"]. ''RogerEbert.com'', January 7, 2025.</ref> ''My Son Went Quiet'' won the award for Outstanding Short Film at the 2024 Reelworld Film Festival.<ref>Jamie Casemore, [https://playbackonline.ca/2024/11/13/simply-johanne-named-outstanding-feature-at-reelworld/ "Simply Johanne named Outstanding Feature at Reelworld"]. ''Playback'', November 13, 2024.</ref>
His narrative feature debut, an expansion of ''Strong Son'' centred on the protagonist becoming his father's primary caregiver as the older man's health declines, entered production in February 2025.<ref>Nicholas Sokic, [https://playbackonline.ca/2025/02/13/ian-bawas-feature-debut-strong-son-shooting-in-winnipeg/ "Ian Bawa’s feature debut Strong Son shooting in Winnipeg"]. ''Playback'', February 13, 2025.</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name|5045907}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bawa, Ian}} Category:21st-century Canadian screenwriters Category:21st-century Canadian male writers Category:Asian-Canadian filmmakers Category:Canadian male screenwriters Category:Canadian people of Punjabi descent Category:Canadian Sikhs Category:Film directors from Winnipeg Category:Film producers from Manitoba Category:Screenwriters from Manitoba Category:University of Winnipeg alumni Category:Canadian Film Centre alumni Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people)