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Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy announces Rs10m grant for women filmmakers in Sindh and Balochistan

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy announces Rs10m grant for women filmmakers in Sindh and Balochistan

The third funding grant for Patakha Pictures will include mentorship from US and Scotland-based filmmakers.
04 Nov, 2022

Two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy has announced a Rs10 million film grant for Pakistani women under funding and mentorship platform, Patakha Pictures. Stories from Southern Pakistan is their third mentorship programme and will bring in filmmakers from US and Scotland as mentors.

“I have been so inspired by the success of Patakha Pictures’ funding programmes, especially as many of our fellows’ films are being screened and receiving accolades internationally. At this groundbreaking juncture therefore, I feel extremely proud to be launching our third and largest-ever funding program for female filmmakers in Pakistan,” said Obaid-Chinoy. “We know that this funding is critical for filmmakers to realise their filmmaking dreams and this time around, we’re making a special effort to recruit women from smaller towns and villages in Sindh and Balochistan.”

Launched in partnership with Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi [ITA] and the US Consulate General Karachi, the programme will accept interested female filmmakers domiciled in Sindh and Balochistan. Applicants must apply in pairs on their website. The application period is open from November 6 to 25, 2022. The workshops will commence at the start of next year.

Each chosen pair will receive upto Rs1 million to create 10 short documentaries, 10 to 20 minutes in duration. As part of the mentorship process, Patakha Pictures will support, nurture and develop fellows’ creative skills, thus enabling grantees to reach new local and international audiences through their work.

The training programme will take place from January until August 2023 with twice-a-month virtual workshops. The workshops will consist of a mixture of seminars and consultant-led advice sessions by international experts. This mentorship will entail sessions that would include — but not be limited to — storytelling, developing narratives and characters, directing, sound design and editing, followed by a gathering for an intensive week in Karachi to finalise the editing of the films with a closing event in September 2023 that will celebrate and mark the successful completion of production of films created by our fellows.

Patakha Pictures was launched to empower and support a new generation of female Pakistani filmmakers who wish to create engaging films that reflect on and question their society on themes such as women empowerment, violence against women and minorities, arts, culture, climate change and peace-building.

For the first grant launched in February 2022, 10 female filmmakers worked in pairs for 12 weeks to develop their creative skills and create five short films. All of these films are currently screening across global film festivals, with two films winning international awards.

For the second grant, one documentary filmmaker was selected as a Taiwan Pitch Pakistan Fellow Grantee and received $10,000 in funding to participate in the Talent Village workshop held in Taiwan, and create a short non-fiction film.

“Gender Equality is all about generating transformative capabilities for emerging female filmmakers from Pakistan; those selected on open merit will have unique opportunities to visualise and share stories within and beyond borders, and nurture excellence and creativity. This would not have been possible without the generous grant of the US Consulate General Karachi and the ever-vibrant partnership of Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy,” said Baela Raza Jamil of ITA.

Comments

Bunny Nov 04, 2022 06:34pm
welcome move , but the danger is many men will start running a puppet show from behind their women in the forefront as film makers .
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Ehsan Nov 04, 2022 06:50pm
Sharmeen Obaid- chenoy is developing into an institution a treasure for Pakistan
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Taj Ahmad Nov 04, 2022 08:19pm
Great help and great idea, our women were neglected in the last many years, it’s time now bring them up front side by side with men and let them work with equal pay and opportunities. Our women in Pakistan and around the world are as intelligent as men’s are. Thanks to all.
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Vks, St. Louis, MO Nov 04, 2022 09:03pm
Bring it on. Great move and excellent news. No doubt, once again, she is on a winning streak.
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Khana Nov 04, 2022 09:39pm
Taiwan, korea, hong kong like model is being implemented by the foreign aid. Sindh and Balouchistan , PPP strongly stand with US when it comes to china.
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Faisi Nov 05, 2022 03:27am
Ia she backing Mera job am Meri marzi slogan on behest of West or this time she wants to make another acid victim fool?
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Maria Maqbool Nov 05, 2022 07:21am
Great work for female who has interesting in these Field. Women also have skills and we should thank full to those organization who organized these type of programs. It's also support female economically and also a great platform for using their skills.
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Ten Jee Nov 05, 2022 12:26pm
Foreign funded "arts" initiatives aimed at women in Pakistan .... we know what direction this is heading, especially when headed by someone who has so little in common with ordinary Pakistani people. Also these "mentors" from UK ans US ... they will bring their values to bear, which I guess suits the agenda here.
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Ten Jee Nov 05, 2022 12:34pm
Also about these US and UK mentors, they should first sort out the mess of their own film industry where woke themes have alienated audiences and trashed much loved characters and stories by "re imagining" them for this supposed "modern audience". They have shown 0 appreciation of audience tastes and expectations in pushing their woke liberal agendas in every movie. They have no respect for their own values, what will these Bohemians teach our impressionable inferiority complex ridden students? The only reason Joyland is getting positive reception is because of its theme. Make a movie that flies in the face of our traditions and values and the western film industry press will be all behind it.
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