Riz Ahmed is an acclaimed actor, musician, and activist celebrated for his dynamic performances in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Nightcrawler, Venom (2018), and his Emmy-winning lead role in HBO’s The Night Of. His portrayal in The Sound of Metal earned him a groundbreaking Best Actor Academy Award nomination. He co-wrote and starred in Mogul Mowgli (2020), exploring diasporic identity, and previously co-conceived the Oscar-winning short The Long Goodbye. A committed activist, he has campaigned for refugee causes—including Syrian and Rohingya aid—and challenged media stereotyping of Muslims, notably via a speech in the House of Commons and the widely referenced “Riz Test” for Muslim representation. Ahmed received the Excellence Award Davide Campari at the 2023 Locarno Film Festival, where his short film Dammi premiered; the film was later released globally on MUBI.