Shehzad Afzal

Shehzad Afzal
Born Dundee, Scotland
Nationality Scottish
Education MA in Screen Project Development
Alma mater
Occupation Director, screenwriter, producer, editor, cinematographer, game designer
Years active 2004–present
Known for Bo Kata / The Full 10 Yards / Down The Rabbit Hole / Vanille / Pendulum Drift
Still from Bo Kata, directed and produced by Shehzad Afzal – depicting the kite flyers on the rooftops in the city of Lahore, Pakistan, 2004

Shehzad Afzal[1] is a writer/director/producer and Game Designer born in Dundee, Scotland.[2]

Still from Bo Kata, directed and produced by Shehzad Afzal – depicting the energy and passion of the kite duelists on the rooftops in the city of Lahore, Pakistan, 2004

Notable for producing and directing Bo Kata, a documentary film which received a limited UK theatrical release in 2007.[3][4][5][6] In 2005 and 2007, he was a finalist in the Global Digital Cities Game Design Competition.

Still from the controversial award winning short film, The Full 10 Yards, written and directed by Shehzad Afzal – shot on location in Edinburgh, Scotland, 2004

His first film, shot in 2004, a short four minute piece called The Full 10 Yards,[7] received critical acclaim upon its release.

Film influences include John Cassavetes, Sidney Lumet, Jim Jarmusch and Mike Leigh. Shehzad focuses on actor performance and realisation within a neo-noir/social realist/expressionist [8] dimension.

A graduate of Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen and Abertay University, Dundee in Computing and also Creative Writing, holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Management (presented to him by Dundee Utd footballing legend Paul Sturrock) from Dundee College, and is also a graduate of Screen Academy Scotland part of Edinburgh Napier University and Edinburgh College of Art (ECA), Edinburgh, with a Master of Arts in Screen Project Development with Distinction.[9] University awards include the University Class Medal and 1st prize in 2009 for his Master of Arts in Screen Project Development. In 2010, he received a PG CERT in Interactive Entertainment from a design course at Edinburgh Napier University.

At Screen Academy Scotland, Shehzad produced two award winning short films, including a first collaboration on a film project between screen academies in the UK (Screen Academy Scotland & Screen Academy Wales).[10] Afzal won the Abbey Santander award for Outstanding Achievement in Film and Creative Media in 2009.

Shehzad participated in the Media funded ENGAGE programme in 2010, a talent development initiative which takes a select few emerging filmmakers from across Europe through a nine-month process of masterclasses.

Nominee for the Satyajit Ray Film Foundation Award for Best Film Award 2007 in association with the British Council and the British Film Institute for documentary film, Bo Kata.


Presented by Sir Sean Connery, the Edinburgh International Film Festival 2009 & Skillset Trailblazer Award which celebrated emerging talent in British Cinema.[11][12][13]

Debut feature film shot in 2010, Pendulum Drift,[14] is in post-production and due for film festival release in 2015.

Filmography

Year Film Role Notes
2004 The Full 10 Yards[15] Writer/Director/Producer/Editor English language filmed on location in Edinburgh, Scotland
2007 Bo Kata[16] Director/Producer/Editor/Cinematographer/Sound Recordist Urdu language / Punjabi language with English Subtitles filmed on location in Lahore, Pakistan
2009 Down The Rabbit Hole[17] Producer Romanian language filmed on location in Bucharest, Romania
2009 Vanille[18] Producer French language, German language filmed on location in Paris, France
2014 Pendulum Drift[19][20] Writer/Director/Producer/Editor English language film currently in post-production

References

  1. ↑ Filmedup Filmmaker Profile – Shehzad Afzal "filmedup.com"
  2. ↑ BBC Film Network Profile – Shehzad Afzal bbc.co.uk
  3. ↑ British Council Film Catalogue Bo Kata britfilms.com
  4. ↑ SoundOnSound – 20 Ways To Create Cash From Your Audio Gear & Skills soundonsound.com
  5. ↑ Film listing on list.co.uk "List.co.uk"
  6. ↑ Bo Kata Film Details on Festival Focus "festivalfocus.org"
  7. ↑ Short film details for The Full 10 Yards "filmedup.com"
  8. ↑ Filmedup Filmmaker Profile – Shehzad Afzal "filmedup.com"
  9. ↑ Screen Academy Scotland Student Success – Shehzad Afzal screenacademyscotland.ac.uk
  10. ↑ UK French Film Festival 2009 "frenchfilmfestival.org.uk "
  11. ↑ EIFF Trailblazer 2009 – Shehzad Afzal edfilmfest.org.uk
  12. ↑ EIFF & Skillset Trailblazer Awards – Shehzad Afzal skillset.org
  13. ↑ Big County film-maker’s award perthshireadvertiser.co.uk
  14. ↑ Pendulum Drift Feature Film Details filmedup.com
  15. ↑ The Full 10 Yards Synopsis filmedup.com
  16. ↑ Bo Kata Synopsis filmedup.com
  17. ↑ Down The Rabbit Hole Synopsis filmedup.com
  18. ↑ Vanille Synopsis filmedup.com
  19. ↑ What we think, we become – meet LITTLE BUDDHA invernessgigs.co.uk
  20. ↑ Pendulum Drift Synopsis filmedup.com

External links