A creative studio making films on the intersection of culture, nature and identity
ABOUT KUMU
Born from a shared passion for story, ecology & memory
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 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 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.
Founders
Muhammad Ali Ijaz
Director & Co-Founder
A Pakistani-American documentary filmmaker 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.
More About Ali's Work →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's storytelling possible — securing the partnerships, funding, and field access that bring Pakistan's most urgent stories to a global audience.
More About Rabbya's Work →Work
- Heaven in the Hills
- Oli Kahuli
- Mugger
- Pangolins in Peril
SERVICES
What Kumu Studios
can do for you
We partner with brands, institutions, NGOs, and conservation organisations to create work that is visually exceptional and purposefully impactful.
Documentary Film
Feature and short-form documentary production — research, field production, direction, and post. End-to-end or as a creative partner.
Conservation Storytelling
Narrative campaigns built around biodiversity, rewilding, and ecology — created to move funders, governments, and the public to act.
Field Documentation
Photography, video, and archival documentation for conservation projects, scientific expeditions, and cultural preservation efforts.
Impact Campaigns
Full cycle campaign production for NGOs, foundations, and international agencies — strategy, creative direction, and execution.
Branded Content
For organisations whose values align with ours. We craft branded films and campaigns that carry genuine story, not just messaging.
Culture
Some stories need telling. Others need protecting. Most need both.
At KUMU, 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.
Keep up with us
