Multiple news sources say that the short film Sandstorm aka Mulaqat by Pakistani director Seemab Gul was one of the top three films at the HollyShorts Film Festival 2022.
For those who don’t know, HollyShorts is a festival for short films that has categories that qualify for the Oscars. The winners of these three awards are now running for an Oscar. The Wrap says that Hallelujah won the Grand Prix for the best short film at the festival. Sandstorm (Mulaqat) won for best live-action short film, and Scale won for best animated short film.
The show’s producer, Abid Aziz Merchant, told us that “Seemab Gul’s film mulaqat 2021 wins at two festivals that count toward the Oscars: @hollyshorts and @flickers.
riiff in August 2022, which is also the month that Pakistan celebrates its 75th Independence Day.”
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The movie stars Hamza Mushtaq, Parizae Fatima, Ayesha Shoaib Ahmed, and Nabila Khan. It was made by Gul and Merchant, along with Sanat Initiative and Instinct Productions.
The story is about a teenage girl named Zara, whose life turns upside down after she sends a sensual dance video to her online boyfriend, who then blackmails her into meeting him in person.
The short was also shown at a number of well-known film festivals, such as Sundance and Vaughan. It was in the Honorable Mentions section of the Ischia Film Festival.
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