Dr Sabina Kidwai has been teaching Film production for over two decades at AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia islamia, New Delhi. Her specialized area of work is editing which includes both film and digital editing.
Dr Kidwai has done considerable research work. She has co-authored two publications, “Illusion of Power” and “Crossing the sacred Line”, on the subject of Women and Political Participation. She has done a study on the “Images of Muslim women” for WISCOMP (Women in Security, Conflict Management and Peace), produced under the “Scholar for Peace” Fellowship. She has done research work for organizations like Central Zoo Authority and the Centre for Media Studies. She has received the UGC Minor grant for a research project on Television News ‘Profiling the enemy’ (2012-2014). She has (2015) completed her Ph.D from the MMAJ Academy of International Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia. “Images of Muslims in the Indian Media: A study of the post 9/11 scenario”. The area of her current research work is to do with minorities, gender and media studies. She has presented papers at various National and International level conferences and given lectures at Academic Staff Colleges and the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library.
Dr Kidwai has also been a resource person and coordinator for many workshops. These include workshops to train TV journalists from African countries and Afghanistan conducted at AJKMCRC for the Ministry of External Affairs, workshop on film making for students from Media Educational Research Centre, Kashmir, Indo-French workshop on Production for academicians conducted by French Video Specialists Anne Papillault and Jean Francois Dars, Workshop on wildlife filmmaking at JDCA Film Forum, National Short & Documentary Film Festival, Conference cum Workshop on “Reporting the North East” by the Shillong Press Club in Shillong.
She has worked as an editor for a large number of independent documentaries. Her work includes editing a number of documentaries on environment issues varying from issues of wildlife trade to issues of animal rights. She has directed and edited a documentary on the issues of identity “Shadows of Freedom” for the Public Service Broadcasting Trust. The film was screened at various festivals and was the Inaugural film for the PSBT festival Open Frame 2004. She is the co-director for a film “Diminishing Resources” made under the UK Environment Film Fellowship 2006. The documentary has been widely circulated and was telecast on Discovery Channel and National Geographic. She was the Consultant Editor for the magazine “Ex-situ Updates” for the Central Zoo Authority (Vol1 1-4 and Vol2 1-5).and for the National Tiger Conservation Authority “STRIPES” Vol7.
Dr Kidwai has been on the jury of various festivals like IDPA and CEC-UGC Video Competition and an examiner for Lady Irwin College, Lady Shriram College, Patna University, Annamali University etc. She is a member of a six women collective called Mediastorm which has produced three films on gender and social issues. Mediastorm was also the recipient of the Chemali Devi Award and the Award for Communal Harmony.