Jila Nikpay is an Iranian artist who lives in the U.S. She is a filmmaker and a photographer, working exclusively in black and white. Her still photography is staged, and marked by dramatic lighting. The films are poetic tableaus, comprised of short vignettes with no dialogue.

Central to Jila Nikpay's work is the transcultural exploration of the theme of dislocation, as a primary condition of existence—an awareness of one's identity continually oscillating between the states of expansive and contracted self. The characters in her staged photography and lyrical films are archetypal and express a deep longing for "love" and "freedom" while surrounded by fear, doubt, and insecurity. Her work is deeply connected to the traditions of Iranian poetry and Islamic mysticism.

She is recipient of many awards for her work, including, the Jerome Foundation’s Media grant for research and production of her films, in 2005, 2004, & 2002. Additional awards include, grants for the support of her film and photography from the Minnesota State Arts Board in 2006, 2004, 2002, 2001,1998; Independent Feature Project, Minneapolis/St. Paul, 2005, 2003; and the McKnight Foundation in 2000. Nikpay has exhibited her work at the Walker Art Center, Tehran Contemporary Museum of Art, Minnesota Historical Society, Print Center in Philadelphia, among other venues.