We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
We tell stories you never thought mattered—until you see them
About Kumu Studios
A creative studio making films on the intersection of culture and nature.
Kumu Studios is a film and media company founded by documentary filmmaker Muhammad Ali Ijaz
and wildlife conservationist Rabbya Malik, carrying two disciplines but one unwavering
belief: that the world's most urgent stories deserve its most powerful art form.
The name Kumu Studios comes from the Hawaiian language, meaning source, teacher, or root. It
reflects our belief in storytelling grounded in identity, indigenous knowledge, and deep
connection to place.
From disappearing ecosystems to living traditions, Kumu Studios works to document, preserve, and
celebrate the relationships between people, land, memory, and biodiversity in mediums that are
poetic, visually immersive, and rooted in communities often overlooked.
0BRANDS
0Conservation Impact
0Awards
Founders
Muhammad Ali Ijaz
Director & Co-Founder
A Pakistani documentary filmmaker, a University of Hawaii Graduate and East West Center
Fellow,
Ali has spent a decade telling the stories of endangered species,
cultural identity, and ecological loss. His films have screened
internationally and garnered festival recognition across the globe.
Rabbya Malik
Producer & Co-Founder
With 15 years spanning international human rights law, biodiversity conservation, and the UN
development sector, Rabbya is the force that makes Kumu Studios storytelling possible —
securing
the partnerships, funding, and field access that bring Pakistan's most urgent stories to a
global audience.
We partner with brands, institutions, NGOs, and conservation
organisations to create work that is visually exceptional and purposefully
impactful.
1
Documentary Film
Feature and short-form documentary production —
research, field production, direction, and post. End-to-end or as a creative
partner.
2
Conservation Storytelling
Narrative campaigns built around biodiversity,
rewilding, and ecology — created to move funders, governments, and the public to
act.
3
Field Documentation
Photography, video, and archival documentation for
conservation projects, scientific expeditions, and cultural preservation
efforts.
4
Impact Campaigns
Full cycle campaign production for NGOs, foundations,
and international agencies — strategy, creative direction, and execution.
5
Branded Content
For organisations whose values align with ours. We
craft branded films and campaigns that carry genuine story, not just
messaging.
Brands We’ve Worked With
Festival
GLOBAL FOOTPRINT
From Pakistan’s forests, mountains, and communities to
international documentary platforms, our stories have
travelled across continents, connecting local conservation
efforts with a global audience.
OLI KĀHULI (2024)
Grand Jury Award – Best Student Documentary Rūng Film Fest, USA
Selected at:
Hawai’i International Film Festival 2024, USA
Earth in Focus Singapore Nature Film Festival
BIFED – Bozcaada International Festival of Ecological Documentary 2024, Turkey
Festival Internacional de Imagem de Natureza 2024, Portugal
SEFF – Smaragdni Eco Film Festival, Croatia
Ekotopfilm 2024, Slovakia
ECOCINE International Environmental and Human Rights Film Festival 2024, Brazil
Rhodope International Documentary Film Fest, Bulgaria
Bistre Reke Short Documentary Film Festival, Serbia
MISSING VULTURES (2011)
Awards:
WWF Living Planet Award
WWF Pakistan
Best Documentary
Japan Wildlife Film Festival
Golden Panda Award, China
FREEDOM FOR MONEY (2006)
Awards:
DAKAH Award
Best Media Documentary
DW Akademie
PANGOLINS IN PERIL (2016)
Awards:
People’s Choice Award – Borrego Springs Film Festival, 2019
Wildlife Activism Award – WCFF, New York, 2016
Best Director – ARY Film Festival, 2017
HAVEN IN THE HILLS (2025)
Selected at:
Ekotopfilm 2025, Slovakia
Art, History and Culture
At Kumu Studios, culture lives in people, places, traditions and the natural world around them.
We document what matters, protect what is disappearing and bring overlooked stories into view.
CONSERVATION
Keep the wild, wild.
Conservation is more than saving a species. It is protecting the landscapes, livelihoods and relationships that allow entire ecosystems to survive.From endangered wildlife to disappearing habitats, we combine conservation, community stewardship and storytelling to turn attention into action.
Protect the place.
Tell its story.
People are the plot.We go where the stories live.
Through documentary, research and time
spent on the ground, we capture lived realities,
indigenous knowledge, traditions and
voices that rarely make it into the mainstream.
