Simran Sawhney is a Los Angeles based cinematographer focused on character driven stories and the quiet power of what goes unspoken. An alum of the AFI Conservatory’s Cinematography program, she approaches visual storytelling with restraint, empathy, and a deep interest in emotional subtext.

Spanning the United States and India, her body of work has been recognized by several international film festivals. Her film Knock premiered at the BISFF, an Academy Award qualifying film festival. Her recent film Tangled, shot on 35mm film and featured by Kodak, earned her the Best Cinematography Award at the Delhi Shorts International Film Festival, with additional selections at the Phoenix Film Festival and Sounds of Silent Film Festival, and a nomination at the upcoming Jaipur International Film Festival.

Her cinematography on The Patricias received an Honorable Mention from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) and a semi finalist spot at Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival, a BAFTA and Academy Award qualifying festival. Most recently, her film Behind the Mask, supported by the Amazon Studios Innovation Storytelling Grant, had its world premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and screened at AFI FEST.

Simran has also served as a jury member at the WorldFest Houston International Film Festival. She is an Associate Member of the Society of Camera Operators (SOC).