I work at the intersection of documentary, advocacy, and branded. I make cinematic films that are emotionally intimate, yet critical of power and culture. My work creates space for othered bodies in societies with limited tolerance and no safety nets.
About
Umbreen Butt is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. She makes lush, cinematic films that are emotionally intimate yet critical of culture and power. She directed the documentary series BLIND ANGELS (New Orleans Film Festival, 2022), which aired on CNN on World AIDS day, won a Festival of Media Award for Health Storytelling, and screened at USCHA and AIDS22. She lead Abbott's global series of brand films titled THE VIRUS HUNT for Discovery, which garnered two Platinum Titan Health Awards. Her short films have been published by Hulu, CNN, Discovery, CBS, The New York Times, MSNBC, and AlJazeera. She has won two Murrow awards for her reporting with The Toronto Star. Umbreen currently teaches video production at Baruch Colleges Weissman School of Communication.
