PATAKHA PICTURES AND THE US CONSULATE DISBURSE PAKISTAN’S LARGEST FILMMAKING GRANT, CULMINATING IN STORIES FROM SOUTHERN PAKISTAN
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s Patakha Pictures, proudly celebrated the successful conclusion of its third, and Pakistan’s largest, filmmaking grant and mentorship program, “Stories from Southern Pakistan”, featuring 19 participating female filmmakers from Sindh and Balochistan. This PKR 10 million project, supported and funded by a grant from the U.S. Consulate Karachi, has aimed to empower, uplift and encourage the next generation of Pakistani women in film to create documentaries that push boundaries and start important conversations.
Working in pairs, over the past several months, these aspiring filmmakers attended online filmmaking workshops, and an in-person editing week with Noé Mendelle (member of the Academy of Motion Picture Sciences, and Director of the Scottish Documentary Institute) and Jesse Ericka Epstein (Sundance Award-Winning documentary filmmaker, and VMA Affiliated Faculty, Emerson College), honed their skills and crafted their short documentary films. The result is 10 short films that offer unique perspectives and captivating storytelling on themes such as women’s empowerment, violence against women and minorities, arts, culture, climate change and peacebuilding. The completion of these films marks a significant milestone in the careers of these talented women, solidifying their place in the world of cinema.
The grand finale of the third mentorship and filmmaking program, launched in partnership with U.S. Consulate General Karachi and Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi [ITA], unfolded at a closing event in Karachi, where excerpts of all the films were screened to a captivated audience. In attendance were two-time Academy Award-winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Conrad Tribble – Consul General of U.S. Consulate General Karachi, Anastasia Kolivas – Public Diplomacy Officer, U.S. Consulate General in Karachi, Ahsan Afzal – Cultural Affairs, U.S. Consulate General in Karachi, Sarah Mooney – British Deputy High Commissioner, Karachi and Trade Director for Pakistan, Sulaiman Shahabuddin – President Agha khan University, Dr. Rudiger Lotz – Consulate General of Germany Karachi Office, along with actors Samina Ahmed, Iqra Aziz, Ayesha Omar, Momal Sheikh, Hira Tareen, Ali Safina, and mentor Jesse Epstein who shared their valuable insights with the participants.
This event also provided a platform for fellows to engage in discussions about their projects, sharing insights into the creative process behind their films. It was a testament to the remarkable talent nurtured through Stories from Southern Pakistan.
“I am so proud of our cohort of 19 women filmmakers for crafting these remarkable films, which shed light on critical issues pertinent to Southern Pakistan. None of this would have been possible without our two international mentors, Noé Mendelle and Jesse Ericka Epstein, whose guidance and mentorship have been invaluable to the fellows along with support and funding from the US Consulate Karachi. I am also excited to see what these Patakha Pictures fellows will accomplish next as they pave the way for a more inclusive and equitable film ecosystem in Pakistan.” said Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Founder Patakha Pictures.
Empowering women and ensuring their economic inclusion is a key priority for us. At the U.S. Consulate Karachi, we’re immensely proud to support this women’s filmmaking project. Through their films, they highlight critical social issues, challenge assumptions, and offer innovative perspectives, shedding light on daily challenges. From the impact of last year’s floods to using theatre to advocate for human rights, their work provides us all with a fresh perspective and deeper insight into issues that impact us all – this is a crucial step toward creating a brighter future for everyone” said Conrad Tribble, Consul General of U.S. Consulate General Karachi.
The 19 women filmmakers included; Alina Rizwan, Alina Azhar, Aqsa Abdul Qadir, Amatullah Saeed, Kainat Thebo, Ayesha Abro, Shalalae Jamil, Ayessha Qureshi, Zehra Nawab and Mariam Paracha from Sindh; and Zainab Asif, Aimen Khan, Mahwish Saeed, Saira Baloch, Rani Wahidi, Mashal Baloch, Yamna Waqar, Nafeesa Ali and Zainab Younas from Balochistan.
Since its inception, Patakha Pictures has funded 16 films that have been screened worldwide, including Pakistan, England, India, Nepal, USA, UAE, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Australia, Canada, and the Philippines. These fellows’ films have also been showcased in over 25 film festivals, earning a total of 13 awards so far for their excellence in storytelling and cinematography. Patakha Pictures is committed to nurturing the talent and vision of emerging filmmakers and showcasing their diverse and authentic stories to global audiences.
This project was funded [in part] by a grant from the United States Department of State. The opinions, findings and conclusions stated herein are those of the author[s] and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of State.
Patakha Pictures is an initiative of SOC Films.
For more information: https://instagram.com/patakhapictures and https://socfilms.com/index.php/patakha-pictures/
