Daily Times

Two-time Academy Award-winning filmmaker, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, proudly celebrated the successful conclusion of the fourth iteration of Pakistan’s largest filmmaking grant and mentorship program Patakha Pictures, “Her Earth Advocates,” featuring ten filmmakers from across Pakistan.

This seven-month program, “Her Earth Advocates,” which started in April 2024, focused on the central themes of climate change and women’s empowerment in Pakistan and was funded by the United States Institute of peace.

Over the past several months, 10 aspiring filmmakers came together – Maira Pasha & Shifa Rajput, Nadia Zartaj & Nagina Jabeen, Natasha Javed & Nirmal Bano, Sabika Noor Ali & Namrah Sikander, Saro Imran & Zareen Rajpoot – and participated in an intensive online mentorship series with Patakha Pictures’ international mentor, Sundance Award-Winning documentary filmmaker Jesse Ericka Epstein, concluding with an in-person editing and closing event in Karachi.

This collaboration resulted in five short documentary films which offer unique perspectives on the environmental challengesfaced by communities in Pakistan. The closing event celebrating the completion of the program, took place in Karachi. The Fellows showcased their work and were celebrated for their determination to tackle climate change issues.

In attendance were two-time Academy Award-winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Sarwat Gillani, Mehwish Hayat, Syra Yousuf, Saqib Malik, Ali Hamza, Samina Ahmed, Kompal Iqbal, Sheema Kermani, Alycia Dias, Amean J, Sania Maskatiya, Safinaz Muneer, Maheen Khan and Fahad Mirza, to name a few, along with mentor Jesse Ericka Epstein, who shared valuable insights with the participants.

This event also served as a platform for fellows to discuss their projects, sharing glimpses into the creative process behind their films-a powerful testament to the talent nurtured through “Her Earth Advocates”.

“I’m proud of all the talented filmmakers from our ‘Her Earth Advocates’ cohort, whose poignant films have brought urgent climate issues to light in Pakistan. We are very grateful for the generous support from the USIP and the inspiring guidance of our mentor, Jesse Epstein. I can’t wait to see where these Patakha Pictures fellows head to next as they lead the way toward creating a more inclusive film ecosystem in Pakistan.” said Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, Founder of Patakha Pictures.

Since its launch in 2022, Patakha Pictures’ mentorship programs have funded 40 filmmakers who have created twenty-one films, which have garnered a total of 27 local and international awards. These films have been screened at over 50 international film festivals around the world. PATAKHA PICTURES is an initiative of SOC Films.