Wahaj Ali, Hareem Farooq, Iqra Aziz, Shaan Shahid, Ali Rehman, and others were part of NASFF – the latest ISPR initiative, encouraging young filmmakers in Pakistan to push the envelope and polish their talents.
The National Amateur Short Film Festival (NASFF) High Achievers’ Scholarship Award Ceremony took place this weekend where some of the industry’s biggest names and government officials came together to celebrate the country’s young artists.
The event gives Pakistan’s youth a chance to produce short films of high quality and out-of-the-box stories, which stand out among the rest. This initiative was taken by DG ISPR with the vision to ‘sow the seeds rather than plucking the fruits.’
It also aims to change Pakistan’s image on an international level. It helps expand the medium of film with better content and different ideas. It brought people together from all over Pakistan under one roof.
The Much Awaited Announcement
The Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Fawad Chaudhry announced the launch of NASFF 2022 with the theme ‘Ocean to Mountains’, giving young artists a range of ideas to work on and explore.
Fawad Chaudhry on NASFF
‘Afiniti, thank you so much for taking this initiative and sending so many people to Australia. With exposure, technology, and ideas, the competition is tight, marking your place is challenging. Most importantly, one should give a story, which stands out among the rest.’
‘There is so much talent in Pakistan, take Ataullah Esakhelvi’s daughter who’s nominated for an Oscar. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is proud to be giving a chance to young artists to explore their talents and go beyond’.
Brigadier Imran Naqvi, Director Productions, ISPR
‘During the pandemic days, the idea of showcasing Pakistan to the world through high-quality short films came to the mind of our DG ISPR. However, the caveat was to tap the creativity of our talented youth. The theme set for NASFF-21 was ‘Reimagining Pakistan: Aligning perceptions with reality’, and we pushed it on social media, aiming to attract the talent and youth of Pakistan. From graduate and undergrad programs. We had the support of the country’s stars, media influencers, and our brand ambassadors, who made this possible and guided students through webinars and visiting university campuses.’
‘1100+ entries were received from 72 different universities from across Pakistan. A grand jury with some very authentic and able film & TV icons sat to shortlist the films. We now wish success to our 15 young scholars as they embark on a unique journey to NYFA, Australia.’
What It Holds For Students
The award winners have received admission to NYFA, Australia, aiming to give them exposure and experience for further grooming and finessing their talents.
The Brand Ambassadors
The brand ambassadors, Shaan Shahid, Ayub Khoso, Wahaj Ali, Iqra Aziz, Col Qasim (Alpha Bravo Charlie), Laila Zubairi, Yasir Jaswal, Hareem Farooq, Ahmed Ali Akbar, Ali Rehman Khan and Momina Mustehsan attended the high achievers’ event. The ceremony itself was hosted by Fakhar e Alam.
Their motivation, through the right medium, platform, and webinars, helped students polish their skills as directors, DOP, camera work, production and so much more!
It’s uplifting to see young Pakistani talent being acknowledged and getting an opportunity to go beyond their horizon. This will surely boost creativity and benefit the entertainment industry and in the future develop some high-quality and out-of-the-box productions and ideas.
