Pakistani short film, Mulaqat, gets nominated at the 78th Venice Film Festival. Directed by the London-based Pakistani, Seemab Gul, the 20-minute short film will have its world premiere at the prestigious Venice Film Festival in September. The short film stars Parizae Fatima and Hamza Mushtaq in lead roles.
The spectacular news was shared by the filmmaker Seemab who took to her Instagram handle, where she wrote, “Sandstorm (ملاقات) will have its world premiere at the 78th Venice Film Festival in the #orrizzonti short films competition”.
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Her Instagram post further mentioned how she was delighted at the fact to be a part of “cinema history in the oldest film festival in the world!”
The leading actor of the short film, Hamza Mushtaq also expressed his gratitude on his Instagram to share the exciting news. “Thank you so much for this huge opportunity! Making me a part of this huge project and get to work with such an amazing team! JazakAllah! Proud of the dream team and glad to reach the finishing line!”
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The film has been produced by banker-turned-film producer Abid Aziz Merchant.
The short film is about a schoolgirl in Karachi, named Zara, who shares a sensual dance video with her virtual boyfriend, who then blackmails her. Caught between his manipulative behavior and the desire to experience love on her own terms, Zara searches for the strength to reject the confines of a patriarchal society.
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Speaking to Cinestaan, Merchant mentioned that it was a great honor for him that the film has been selected by La Biennale di Venezia. He elaborated on how “Mulaqat, a coming-of-age story was filmed during the pandemic in 2020 in Karachi, Pakistan and we are extremely delighted that it’s having its world premiere at the oldest and one of the most prestigious film festivals of the world. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the wonderful cast and crew and especially our three executive producers Jemima Khan, Mehnaz Alavi Diwan, and Christopher Granier-Deferre for all their support to the project,” he said.
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The world’s oldest film festival, regarded as a showcase for Oscar contenders as awards season approaches back slowly, hopes to welcome back Hollywood celebrities this year after taking a back seat in 2020.