ABOUT
Sej Saraiya (b. 1985) is interdisciplinary visual artist, an acclaimed photographer and filmmaker, recognized for her ethnographic and fine art photography that documents Indigenous cultures around the globe. With an MFA in Screenwriting from the University of Southern California, earned in 2009, Sej has embarked on immersive photographic journeys through the interiors of Asia and the Americas, creating poignant portraits that serve as windows into remote communities and their intertwined relationships with the environment. Her photographic work has taken her to some of the most remote corners of the world, where she has encountered invaluable treasures—from the tattooed headhunters of hidden India to the wisdom of medicine women in British Columbia, and from the shamans of the Venezuelan Amazonas to globally revered leaders and humanitarians such as Their Holinesses the Dalai Lama and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Sej’s mission centers on preserving the rich tapestry of global cultures and landscapes.
A dedicated leader in her field, Sej actively serves on the board of the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP-LA), the Garifuna Indigenous Film Festival (GIIFF, now in its 13th year), and contributes to the Topanga Film Festival (TFF, now in its 18th season). She is also a Professional Member of the American Photographic Artists (APA) and a lead facilitator at the BRIDGE photography mentorship program. In 2024, Sej was the Founding Director of the World Culture Film Festival for the Art of Living Foundation. She actively engages in thought leadership through speaking engagements, workshops, and panel discussions at universities, museums, and film festivals. Sej's work has garnered attention in prestigious publications, including ELLE, LA YOGA, DEADLINE, Luxury Lifestyle Magazine, and USA Today, and has been exhibited at art galleries, museums, and prominent venues like John Wayne Airport, with her photographs adorning the walls of private collectors around the world.
Sej's short fiction film, THE CURIOUS WOODS (2021), which highlights the beauty and necessity of nature in human existence, has screened at numerous film festivals, collecting over 30 awards, including Best Environmental Film and Best Director. Another short, THE LANGUAGE THEY SPOKE (2019), reflects on the often-overlooked value of silence in a busy world, winning accolades including Best Experimental Film. In 2023-2024, Sej co-directed FROM HEAD TO HEART, a documentary that explores the humble beginnings of the Art of Living Foundation and the International Association for Human Values, set for release in 2025. In addition, she is in post-production on her feature documentary, THE DANCE OF FREEDOM (2026), which honors a tribe of women she captured through her lens five years prior and deeply admires.
Now residing in Topanga, California, Sej Saraiya continues to blend visual storytelling through photography and film, passionately advocating for the preservation of the world’s diverse cultures and ecosystems.
The reason I photograph is to experience and share human existence beyond the precinct of words. It takes an adventurous spirit to venture out to the farthest corners of this earth, but those handful who do are obliged to bring back the stories that haven’t been heard, to shine light on the responsibilities that come with sharing a planet—the importance and urgency of which I portray through my photographs.
What drives my photography is a thirst to tell the stories that haven’t been heard and share uplifting perspectives on the world that haven’t been seen. At least in the dominant cultures. I have lived in places with no running water, climbed active volcanoes, walked for days to reach a spiritually significant glacier 12,000 ft. above sea level, spent years communicating with people who don’t speak my language, photographed in scorching deserts; all to bring back stories that can create a positive impact on this planet. With each new environment, my innate ability to navigate unfamiliar cultures has allowed me to make connections with people of all backgrounds and enabled me to obtain images that connect with viewers at the same deep level I connected with.
CV
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023 2022: A Year of Duality West Hollywood, USA (Juror: American Society of Media Photographers)
2023 APA Chicago - 2023 Artist's Perspective Fulton Street Collective Chicago, USA (Juror: Natasha Egan, Executive. Dir., Museum of Contemporary Photography)
2023 Bold Beauty Project, at The Art Room, Downtown LA, USA (Juror: ASMP-LA President, Nancy Kaye)
2022 Aging as Art, Bower’s Museum, Santa Ana, USA (curated by the Council of Aging)
2022 KAPWA: A Communal Spirit, Avenue 50 Studio, Los Angeles, USA (curated by Hon Huang)
2022 American Society of Media Photographers "A World From Home II" Virtual Presentation (curated by ASMP-LA President, Nancy Kaye)
2021 Topanga Canyon Gallery Topanga, USA (curated by Gallery owner, Kate Kincaid)
2021 Aging as Art, Newport Beach Central Library, Santa Ana, USA
2021 Aging as Art, Bower’s Museum Santa Ana, USA
2021 Foley Gallery New York, USA (curated by Alison Zavos)
2021 Poetry of the Earth, Rishikesh International Film Festival Rishikesh, India (curated by Film Festival Director, Deja Cross)
2021 John Wayne Airport Vi Smith Concourse Gallery Orange County, USA (curated by: the Council of Aging)
2020 Blank Wall Gallery Athens, Greece (curated by Alison Zavos)
2020 Aging as Art, Newport Beach Central Library Santa Ana, USA
2020 Topanga Artists Studio Tour Topanga, USA
2020 Aging as Art, Bower's Museum Santa Ana, USA
2020 A World From Home, American Society of Media Photographers (Online Group Exhibit)
2020 Sacred Landscapes, Rishikesh Int'l Film Festival Tapovan India
2018 Animal Advocacy Through Art, Lois Lambert Gallery Los Angeles USA (curated by APA-Award winning photographer, N. Ford)
2018 Faces of the Indigenous, Electric Lodge Art Gallery Los Angeles USA (invited by Film Festival Director, Freda Sideroff)
2018 Nous Tous Art Gallery Los Angeles USA (curated by Hon Huang)
2017 School’s Out Forever, Legato Art Gallery Los Angeles USA (curated by award-winning artist Jalal Poehman)
2017 Evoking the Unseen, Venice Love Shack Los Angeles USA (curated by Associate Editor at Hollywood Reporter, Jeffrey Ainis)
2017 Beatles and The Indian Influence, Santa Monica Assembly Hall Los Angeles USA (curated by author of American Vedas, Phil Goldberg)
2017 Advaita or Non Duality, Shangri-La, Topanga Canyon Los Angeles USA (curated by Film Festival Director, Deja Cross)
2017 Advaita or Non Duality, Uttra Art Gallery Rishikesh India (curated by Gallery owner, Tribhuvan Chauhan)
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2022 Boutique Lifestyle Leader’s Conference at Westlake Village Inn Westlake, USA (invited by Ariela Goharik Kiradjian)
2022 Topanga Film Festival (Featured Artist) Topanga, USA (curated by Film Festival Director, Urs Baur)
2022 Revel Silk: Indigenous Women, Houndstooth Studio, Los Angeles, USA (curated by musician and actress, Monica Dogra)
2022 Indigenous Wisdom, Electric Lodge Art Gallery, Garifuna Indigenous Int’l Film Festival, Venice, USA (curated by Freda Sideroff)
2021 A Taste of India Garden Event Culver City, USA (curated by Nicole Muyingo, MUY House)
2020 A Taste of the World, A MUY House Event, Froggies Topanga, USA (invited by Graham Brooks)
2019 Remote Cultures, Ancient Wisdom & Advaita, University of Southern California USA (invited by Dean of USC Religious Studies, Jim Burklo)
2019 Indigenous People of the World, California State University Fullerton USA (invited by Professor Mugdha Yeolekar)
2019 Namaste India, Short Ave Elementary School Los Angeles USA (invited by Professor Mugdha Yeolekar)
2019 Advaita or Non-Duality, Rishikesh Int'l Film Festival Tapovan India (invited by Film Festival Director, Deja Cross)
2017 Advaita or Non Duality, Maharishi "Beatles" Ashram Rishikesh India
SELECTED LECTURES/PANELS
2024 Host “Sacred Art of Storytelling” Panel at the World Culture Film Festival, Los Angeles, USA
2024 Host “Environment in Film” Panel at the World Culture Film Festival, Los Angeles, USA
2024 Panelist: “Leveraging Film Festivals” World Culture Film Festival, Los Angeles, USA
2023 Panelist: “Film as a Tool for Decolonization” Garifuna International Indigenous Film Festival, Los Angeles, USA
2023 Host: “Post-Colonial Philanthropy” Panel at the Topanga Film Festival, Topanga, USA
2023 Assistant Facilitator, BRIDGE Program Los Angeles cohort (16-weeks) with BKC and the American Society of Media Photographers
2023 Panelist: Creativity & Consciousness: The Influence Of Spirituality on Artistic Expression with Marc Baraka Strauch, Los Angeles, USA
2022 Host: “The Indigenous Story” Panel Topanga Film Festival Topanga Topanga, USA
2022 Lecture: “Remote Cultures and Ancient Wisdom” Big Bear Yoga Festival Big Bear, USA
2022 Lecture: “A Whole New World” at Culture Journeys Kids Summer Camp Hermosa Beach USA
2022 Lecture: Learning from Ancient Cultures Garifuna Indigenous International Film Festival
2021 Panel Discussion with Marc Baraka Strauch: “The Meditative Eye: An Exploration in Seeing from Within” Rishikesh Film Festival
2021 Moderator: Shakti Panel Rishikesh Film Festival (online)
2021 Lecture: “Remote Cultures, Ancient Wisdom & Non Duality” Yangchenma Arts & Music, Topanga
2021 Lecture “Photographing Remote Cultures” Learning Bird, Canada
2020 Sociology of Globalization Symbiosis School of Photography, Pune India
2020 Lecture: Tales of the Desert Gypsies Yangchenma Music & Arts Topanga USA
2019 Lecture: “Individualism, Collectivism & Non Duality” Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena USA
2019 Lecture: “Remote Cultures, Ancient Wisdom & Advaita” University of Southern California, Los Angeles USA
2019 Panel Discussion: “Infinite in its Silence" California State University, Fullerton USA
2019 Workshop: “Journey Through India” Short Ave Elementary School, Los Angeles USA
2018 Empowered Indigenous Filmmaker Masterclass (with TELUS Storyhive and VoVo Productions) New Hazelton, Canada
2018 Empowered Indigenous Filmmaker Masterclass (with TELUS Storyhive and VoVo Productions) Kamloops, Canada
2017 Lecture: “Storytelling, Filmmaking & Consciousness” (with Marc Baraka Strauch) Maharishi Mahesh Yogi “Beatles” Ashram, India
SELECTED PRESS/PUBLICATIONS
Articles/Papers
2022 USA Today Magazine “Legends of America’s Sacred Landscapes” September 2022 Issue + Cover Feature
2022 USA Today Magazine “Remote Cultures and Ancient Wisdom” May 2022 Issue Feature
2021 STEAM Journal Claremont University “Donyi Tolo Apatani” March 2019Photographs
2022 Belili Magazine 2022 Issue (USA/Belize) (cover photo)
2021 26 Shades of Red Moevir, Paris 2021 Issue, France (12-page photography spread)
2020 The Intercultural Nomad by by Aletta Bredewold Nomadic Magazine April 2020
2019 An Introduction to World Music by William Cratty and Jeffrey Ainis (Kendall Hunt, USA)
2019 The Inner Pilgrimage of Practice: Meditation Becomes Empowered on Mahasivratri by Nandhiji, LA Yoga Magazine. February 10, 2019
2018 The Journals of Micah by Daniel Nesher (cover photo)
2018 Silence in Bloom music album by Eman Attallah (cover photo)
2018 Malibu TimesInterviews/Press/Media
2024 Inaugural World Culture Film Festival In Los Angeles To Open With ‘The Monk And The Gun,’ Close With Wim Wenders’ ‘Perfect Days by Matthew Carey DEADLINE, July 2024
2024 Tom Holland, Oscar-Nominated Director Pawo Choyning Dorji Earn Awards At Inaugural World Culture Film Festival by Matthew Carey DEADLINE, July 2024
2024 Inaugural World Culture Film Festival to Celebrate Uplifting and Unifying Global Cinema in Los Angeles AMERICAN KAHANI, July 2024
2023 Conservation Photographer Sej Saraiya and Her Dedication to Cultural Preservation ELLE Magazine, July 2023
2023 Female Filmmakers Chronicle the Rise of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Art of Living Foundation by Callum Bradshaw, Film Daily, July 2023
2023 Photographer Sejal Saraiya Captures The Powerful Stories Of Indigenous Elders Luxury Lifestyle Magazine, June 2023
2023 Sej Saraiya's Conservation Photography Shines Light on Indigenous Tribes and Climate Action by Pau Castillo, Mashable. February 2023
2022 Santa Fe Film Festival by Christina Stock, Roswell Daily Record January 5, 2022
2022 The Curious Woods’ Filmmaker found Inspiration in the Healing Power of Nature by Adrien Gomez, Albuquerque Journal January 10, 2022
2022 Indigenous Story Panel: 17th Annual Topanga Film Festival The Basic Cinephile
2019 World Religions seen through a Photographer’s Lens by Kim Pham, The Daily Titan November 16, 2019
2018 Animal Advocacy Through Art by Jeffrey Ainis, LA YOGA Magazine November 20, 2018
AFFILIATIONS
2023—2024 World Culture Film Festival — Co-Founder, Co-Executive Director, Head of Programming
2023—present ASMP-LA BRIDGE Photography Mentorship Program — Facilitator
2022—present American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) — Board Member
2018—present Garifuna International Indigenous Film Festival — Board Member
2018—present American Photographic Artists (APA) —Professional Member
2017—2018 Rishikesh International Film Festival — Creative Director
EDUCATION
2007 - 2009 MFA, Screenwriting, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2008 Writing for the Screen, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
2003 - 2007 B.S., Information Technology, Mumbai University, Mumbai, India
