Nafees Bin Zafar


Nafees Bin Zafar is a visual effects and computer graphics software engineer of Bangladeshi origin based in Los Angeles, United States. He is currently Principal Engineer at animation studio DreamWorks Animation. In 2008, he received an Academy Scientific and Technical Award in Scientific and Engineering Award category for the development of the fluid simulation system at Digital Domain, becoming the first person of Bangladeshi origin to win an Academy Award in any category. He also received an Academy Scientific and Technical Award in Technical Achievement Award category in 2015 for the separate development of two large-scale destruction simulation systems based on Bullet.

Early life

Zafar was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and moved to Charleston, South Carolina with his family when he was 11. He studied at Dhaka Residential Model College till grade 6. He attended College of Charleston and graduated in software engineering. During that time, he studied 3D graphics using SGI computers at Virtual Reality South.
He is the son of Zafar Bin Bashar, a partner at Marcum & Kliegman, and Nafeesa Zafar, who resides in Long Island, New York. He is a great-grandson of the famous late Bangladeshi poet Golam Mostofa and grand-nephew of the Bangladeshi artist and puppeteer Mustafa Monwar.

Career

In February 2008, Zafar received an Academy Scientific and Technical Award for the development of the fluid simulation system at Digital Domain, which was used in the film Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.
He received the Scientific and Engineering Award along with his colleagues at Digital Domain, thus becoming the first person of Bangladeshi origin to win an Academy Award.
In February 2015, Zafar was again recognized by the Academy when he and his colleagues at Digital Domain received a Technical Achievement Award for their work on the Drop Destruction Toolkit, used to create visual effects in the film 2012. He is now Principal Engineer at DreamWorks Animation.

Filmography

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted Puss in Boots Kung Fu Panda 2 Megamind Shrek Forever After Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Flags of Our Fathers Stealth