“The 60 second film festival, which was launched back in October has now entered the final stage of the competition – Public voting has been closed; and now the entries have been handed over to the judges for final deliberation. The festival organizers have announced the judging panel that is to evaluate the entries for the festival. Joining the team are renowned names from the industry, which include Amena Khan, Amin Matalqa, Mehreen Jabbar and Sohail Javed.
Amena Khan is an established commercial film director who joins the 60SFF judges’ panel. She has experience handling varying film genres, formats and treatment styles and has been involved in the media campaigns of leading corporate brands and music stars; both within Pakistan & internationally. She is currently in charge of the Dream Team Films, one of the leading production houses in Pakistan. She is also actively involved in the Company, a sister concern setup to indulge in her team’s love of comic books, stop-motion, Claymation and animation related art.
Jordanian film-maker, Amin Matalqa has also joined the judges’ team for 60SFF. A graduate of American Filmmaking Institute, Amin has directed 17 short-films till date. His first feature film, Captain Abu Raed, won the World Cinema Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2008 and became Jordan’s first entry to the Oscars. His second full length film, of ‘The United’ is Walt Disney Studios’ first ever Arabic film and is due to be released in early 2013. Amin is currently completing post-production on his third film, Strangely in Love, an American comedy based on Dostoevsky’s 1848 novella, White Nights.
Renowned director/producer, Mehreen Jabbar is also on board as a judge for 60 second film festival. Mehreen is a 16 year veteran of the industry. She started off her career from TV films and drama series/serials under the banner of Tasveer Productions and almost all her work has received critical acclaim. Currently working as a free lancer, her work includes award winning productions such as ‘Daughters of the Late Colonel’, ‘Beauty Parlor’, ‘Laal Baig (Cockroach), ‘Harjai’ (Betrayal) and ‘Doraha’ (Crossroads). Her first feature length film ‘Ramchand Pakistani’ was the recipient of the FIPRESCI PRIZE from the International Federation of Film Critics along with several others awards at film festivals around the world.
Sohail Javed is a known director/producer of music videos and TV commercials and takes the final spot on the judging panel. He is a veteran of over four hundred music videos and a hundred; he has several awards under his belt; including Best Music Video Director at the Lux Style Awards 2007-8. Sohail is currently running his own production company ‘Brand Talkies’, involved in the making of television commercials, music video and television productions.
Public voting was closed on December 20th, with almost 5000 votes cast in total (3500+ via Facebook app and 1200+ via sms). The festival organizers have explained that voting will be counted along the judges’ decision, and the result will be based on a combination of both scores. “It is important even as an independent filmmaker, for you to promote your film so you generate an audience. Independent films probably don’t have the same grandeur as commercial films, but the internet is an excellent medium for film-makers to market their film and have their talent recognized” said Abrar ul Haq, Festival Director. The results will be announced at the end of January, giving the judges enough time to evaluate the film for various aspects, ensuring the most deserving one is declared the winner.
The 60second Film Festival is a platform created by Morango Films; a platform for showcasing 60-second short-films broadly covering the themes of social issues and development, entertainment, national and international issues, public service messages etc. The festival aims at giving everyone a chance to express themselves; to encourage upcoming artists/producers from Pakistan while at the same time highlighting critical issues in the society.”
By: Ayesha Zulfiqar