Students today are not just captivated by entertainment media as a leisure activity, but they are enthusiastically taking it as a career path. Taking into account the growing interest and soft power of media, National Amateur Short Film Festival (NASFF) was conceived to tap the talent of young Pakistani filmmakers who are eager to make a mark. This festival was designed with an aim to proffer a chance to the talented youth to produce high quality short films projecting the real and positive image of Pakistan.
In connection, a total of 1100+ entries were received from 72 different educational institutions across Pakistan for its first batch. A jury of renowned experts in filmmaking shortlisted the submissions comprising unique and heart-warming perspectives of Pakistan. The top 15 high achievers were awarded a comprehensive and free scholarship to attend a one-year filmmaking diploma from New York Film Academy, Australia (NYFA); the best film school of the world. After successfully completing their studies, the NASFF scholars are back in Pakistan.
The students’ sponsor – Afiniti — hosted a star-studded reception in Karachi recently to celebrate the success of these young film graduates. The graceful ceremony was well-attended by renowned celebrities of the film and TV fraternity along with notable businessmen. The event celebrated a milestone by NASFF which has provided a launch pad to Pakistani youth to bring innovation and value addition into the film industry of Pakistan.
Esteemed guests got a chance to see glimpses from the final thesis projects, submitted by the NASFF scholars in NYFA, during a screening at the reception. The projects were highly appreciated and applauded by the audience. Host of the event, Fakhr-e-Alam, tagged the initiative as, “Pakistan Ki Kahani… Pakistan Ki Zabani”. One of the leading ambassadors of NASFF, Mahira Khan, listened to a young Baloch filmmaker’s story and remarked, “Nothing is impossible when you dream big”. One of the top-notch film producers in Pakistan, Humayun Saeed, especially praised the feature length productions of the kids. Amar Khan, who is a NYFA graduate herself, expressed that the experience was one of the most pleasant homecomings for her. She said that we desperately need more of such young talented specialists in the industry.
Hareem Farooq, renowned actor and NASFF brand ambassador, highly appreciated the platform and pledged to seek for an apt sponsor for the future of the initiative. Adnan Siddiqui, a senior actor and a producer, narrated a Urdu verse to encourage a student from Badin (Sindh): Mere ghum mere saath bohat duur duur tak gaye… Jab mujh mein thakan na pai to mera saath chor gaye” [my sorrows followed me to faraway and remote places, but they left me when they found me full of vigour].
Actor and producer Aijaz Aslam also commended the diversity in the group of young filmmakers. Actor Hajra Yamin said that it was great to see a bunch of like-minded people creating magic. She advised the kids to not forget their roots and where they came from while struggling in the rut of the industry. Dr. Tariq Mahmood Khan, EDG DEMP, MOI&B represented the Ministry of Information and Broadcast at the event. He congratulated the NASFF scholars and underscored the present vision of Ms. Marriyum Aurangzeb, the Minister of Information. He said that the government is presently following the National Film Policy 2017 and working on two main projects; firstly, the Centre of Film or a film academy and secondly, a film finance fund to encourage filmmaking in the country.
Host and the incumbent Vice Chairman of DP World, Fakhr-e-Alam apprised the audience about the invaluable support of DP World and its Chairman, His Excellency Mr. Sultan Bin Sulayem to send the next batch of 15 NASFF high-achievers, who are due to embark on their journey to NYFA, Australia. The welcoming news is that the next batch has been granted Australian visa. The finalists of NASFF 2022 will soon be flying for Australia on 18th June, 2023.
Have a look at the achievements of NASFF young scholars who have come back to their home ground to contribute, learn, innovate and excel.
Mariyam Hassan Naqvi (Lahore): A filmmaker and writer from Lahore who studied from GCU and NCA. Her films combined features of fiction, performance, and documentary to project socio-political themes. Mariam Naqvi got various awards including Gold Coast Film Festival Award as a first-ever finalist from NYFA. She also became the first-ever brown woman sharing stage as a panelist with renowned Australian producers at the Gold Coast Film Festival.
Irfan Noor K (Gawadar): A graduate of Communication & Design in 2021 from Shaheed Allah Bux University of Art, Design & Heritages. Irfan K has worked on Hollywood projects in Australia. His documentary “The Land of Forefathers” won numerous awards including Climax Film Festival, Lonely Wolf, FILUMS 2022 and the 9th Dhaka International Film Festival. Irfan wrote and produced a feature film in Australia within two months from idea to execution.
Aqeedat Chishti (Lahore): A graduated of Kinnaird College for Women, she started her journey in the field of journalism and forayed into the art of storytelling. She was the first Gold Coast Awards’ nominee from NYFA amongst 3000 other candidates from Queensland. Her film “Pathani” got international recognition.
Eman Munir (Karachi): A filmmaker and visual artist from Karachi, Eman is a student of Media Studies at Institute of Business Management, Karachi. She won the Art Film Award in Australia. She was the writer, director, cinematographer II, editor/colorist and art director for her short film, “The Time Lost”.
Hamza Bin Iftikhar (Lahore): He graduated from Beaconhouse National University. As a filmmaker, he believes in the magic of crafting compelling narratives within the realm of short films. His short film “Snatch It” is based on Shakespeare’s play Othello, that taught him how to create content that appeals to a wider audience, and create stories and characters that sell and resonate with the viewers as well.
Huzaifa Ahmed (Karachi): He studied film at SZABIST and is a filmmaker with 6+ years of experience with advanced video editing skills and technical knowledge. He learned virtual editing from NYFA. Leveraging this new technique, Huzaifa successfully completed post-production work on a 90-minute film within a week.
Osama Chaudhry (Lahore): A filmmaker from Lahore, Punjab, Osama is studying Film & TV at the NCA. Osama screened his film “KEEP” at Gold Coast Student Hub as well as at HOTA. He also performed for an independent theatre production, “Night Watch”.
Rohullah Kashfi (Parachinar): He is the first-ever filmmaker from Parachinar (tribal area) who has graduated in Film & TV from NCA, Lahore and NYFA. He also represented Pakhtuns, especially their tribal culture, true image and untold stories through his films all around the world. Roohi Kashfi’s films and documentaries won numerous awards, including Art DIVVY Film Festival, MFF Australia, Edukino Festival of Films against War, Muslim International Film Festival Canada. Roohi has recently been awarded MIFF’s scholarship to produce a Pashto film in Pakistan.
Shahzaib Shah (Gujranwala): He graduated from BNU, Lahore in 2021. He got distinction during his studies for his impressive work. Shahzaib’s film, produced with three other NASFF scholars, got international attention. A Canadian film production company is keen to work with Shahzaib after previewing the trailer of his thesis project of NYFA.
Vishal Kodwani (Karachi): With a Bachelor’s degree in Media Sciences from Iqra University, Karachi, Vishal worked as a colorist for an Australian feature film that won at numerous festivals.
Saqlain Abbas (Gilgit): He graduated in the year 2015 from the Karakoram International University, Gilgit Baltistan. Saqlain was a very keen nstudent of Film Production at NYFA. He was also part of a feature length film project in Australia.
Yawar Shah (Lahore): He graduated in Mass Media Communication in 2021 from the University of Lahore. He submitted his thesis documentary to NASFF and won first prize for his short film “Deedawar”. In Australia, he showed his directorial skills by making a short film for his thesis on a story by Saadat Hasan Manto titled “Tutu”.
Haris Latif (Karachi): He is an independent filmmaker and writer from Pakistan. He graduated in Media Studies from Sindh Madarsatul Islam University. “Wait” directed by Haris Latif competed in multiple film festivals. He also got an opportunity to work in the Hollywood film Godzilla vs Kong. He has successfully directed and produced a feature film in Australia.
For decades, Pakistan’s film industry remained stagnant, and now gradually new filmmakers and producers are investing time and money in the business of films to produce quality content. However, it is time that we make media industry more equitable in order to flourish. The skills and achievements of the first batch of NASFF Scholars are testament that the initiative has successfully sowed the seeds in the film industry of Pakistan. But it is a long way to go as young graduates always face challenges of access and opportunities in Pakistan. The most crucial stage after talent hunting and recognition is to let it thrive and prosper; entrust the young breed of filmmakers with projects in Pakistan.
The government and production houses in Pakistan need to create prospects to utilize and hone the skills of these talented filmmakers. These kids were initially shortlisted as best of the best and now they have completed their diploma in contemporary filmmaking from NYFA. The primary appeal for students of entertainment media includes the opportunity to combine creative freedom with financial gain. The question remains will these young filmmakers be welcomed by the conventional film fraternity of Pakistan? It’ll be most apt to say that the real success of NASFF is still far from being achieved.
