By Maliha Rehman
You may have heard about the National Amateur Short Film Festival (NASFF) and wondered what it was. You may have seen the pictures of events related to it and wondered why it drew such a hefty lineup of famous faces to its platform.
To be honest, NASFF may not be very well-known at this time but this is simply because it is still in its fledgling years. The platform has so far been laying the foundation stones that resonate with its ideology. The efforts made so far and the plans chalked out for the coming years will soon, hopefully, become evident.
For the uninformed, NASFF is an endeavor that aims to mentor and jumpstart the careers of young filmmakers. Film, TV Production and Mass Media Communication students are invited to send their entries to the forum and 15 deserving candidates are then shortlisted. More than a thousand entries were received from 72 different educational institutes across Pakistan. The final selection was done by a renowned Jury consisting of industry veterans. The high achievers included students hailing from Pakistan’s urban centers as well as from far-flung regions like Gwadar, Jamshoro, Parachinar and Gilgit Baltistan. The selected students were then sent to hone their craft at one of the world’s most prestigious film schools, the New York Film Academy (NYFA) in Gold Coast, Australia, funded entirely by NASFF.
The very first NASFF batch, which wrapped up in 2021, celebrated their return to Pakistan on May 29th at a graceful event held in Karachi the next night. The students, who had completed their studies returned home to tell their stories and start off their careers. The second batch of NASFF 22 high achievers have also been shortlisted and they’re all set to depart for NYFA after issuance of Australian Visa.
Taking to the stage, the students talked about their experiences, the awards and accolades that they received during their time in Australia, the struggles they faced when they opted for a career as unconventional as filmmaking and their hopes for the future. Glimpses of the films created by the batch in NYFA were shown, covering a wide range of themes that varied from basic human emotions to adventure, action and rhetoric on societal issues.
The stories told by the students, as they took to the stage were heartwarming and inspirational. Some may have had it easy – young girls and boys from mainstream cities, whose families were well aware of the merits of a filmmaking career – but others had to struggle in order to pursue their dreams. They also spoke of the experience and exposure they received during their time at NYFA. There were students who got the chance to work on the set of the Godzilla vs. Kong sequel that has been filmed in Australia this year. There were those, who assisted established filmmakers and attended seminars and lectures by them. Many of them had won awards for their various efforts.
The finale was very well-attended, featuring a star-studded guest list. Seated in the front row were some of Pakistani entertainment’s most renowned veterans: Humayun Saeed, Mahira Khan, Aijazz Aslam, Adnan Siddiqui, Imran Ashraf, Amar Khan, Hareem Farooq, Hajra Yamin, HUM Network CEO Duraid Qureshi and President Arts Council Mohammad Ahmed Shah, among others.
But much more than the celebrities, the passion and hopes of this young batch of students were the actual stars. Pakistani entertainment may be steadily strengthening its global footprint, but it is headlined by a handful of veterans. Without the injection of young talent and fresh, new ideas, the industry runs the risk of stagnating. There are universities across the country, which now provide courses in media and entertainment but NASFF is endeavoring to up the bar by giving young students the opportunity to learn so much more by studying for a year at NYFA, completely free of cost.
It is now up to the major players pulling the strings of the local TV and film industry to give these young scholars a chance. This does not have to immediately be the opportunity to direct a new film or drama but they can at least be given the chance to assist in new productions, work with veteran makers and actors and learn the ropes in Pakistan.
It is a sad truth that far too often nowadays, young promising graduates end up migrating from Pakistan, in the hope of getting better job opportunities. This is Pakistan’s loss and the only way to counter it is to provide better work options locally. NASFF has set the wheels in motion but only the movers and shakers of the local entertainment industry can ensure that these wheels keep churning content within Pakistan rather than end up benefitting the industries in other countries.
“Pakistan ki kahani, Pakistani ki zabani,” Fakhr Alam, the host for the night, declared at the end of the ceremony. At a time when fake propaganda and the promotion of negative news is perpetually tearing away at Pakistan’s global image, we need young, energetic storytellers to tell our stories, in our way, fairly and sincerely pointing out not just the country’s lows but also celebrating its many highs.
Kudos to the NASFF management to realize such a grand venture and good luck to the returning young film makers of the first batch of NASFF.
What do you think?