Shaheer Ahmed
Two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy has announced a Rs10 million grant for Pakistani women under the funding and mentorship platform, Patakha Pictures.”Stories from Southern Pakistan” is their third mentorship programme and will bring in filmmakers from the US and Scotland as mentors.
Patakha Pictures was launched to empower and support a new generation of Pakistani women filmmakers who wish to create engaging films that reflect on and question their society on themes such as women’s empowerment, violence against women and minorities, arts, culture, climate change and peace-building.
“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,” she said.
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.
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.
