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Zarrar Kahn

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Zarrar Kahn
Kahn in 2024
Born1991
EducationQueen's University (BA)
Canadian Film Centre (Director's Lab)
Occupations
  • Director
  • Screenwriter
  • Producer

Zarrar Kahn, also sometimes credited as Hamza Bangash, is a Pakistani Canadian film director and screenwriter,[1] whose feature film directorial debut In Flames premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival,[2] and was Pakistan's official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards in 2024.[3]

Early life

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Originally from Karachi, Pakistan, he spent part of his childhood there before emigrating with his family to Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.[2] He has continued to live and work in both countries, with most of his films being Pakistani-Canadian co-productions.[4]

Career

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His first short, Dia, won the Audience Award during the 2020 Locarno Film Festival. Stray Dogs Come Out at Night, his next short, was the first film from Pakistan to be selected at Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival.[5]

His films typically centre on characters who are struggling against their status as outsiders in Pakistan's conservative religious society, such as women, people with physical or intellectual disabilities, LGBT people or members of religious minority groups.

In Flames

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Kahn's feature film directorial debut, In Flames, premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival,[2] and was Pakistan's official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards in 2024.[3]

In Flames was the winner of the John Dunning Best First Feature Award at the 12th Canadian Screen Awards in 2024.[6]

Filmography

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Short films

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  • Dia, 2018[7]
  • 1978, 2020[8]
  • Stray Dogs Come Out at Night, 2020[9]
  • Brothers (Bhai), 2021[10]

Feature films

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References

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  1. ^ "Canada at Cannes: Zarrar Kahn looks to set the Croisette on fire with incendiary debut In Flames". The Globe and Mail. 2023-05-16. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  2. ^ a b c Roxborough, Scott (2023-05-18). "Cannes Hidden Gem: Patriarchal Oppression Meets Supernatural Horror in Pakistani Feature 'In Flames'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  3. ^ a b Ramachandran, Naman (2023-11-28). "Pakistan Oscar Contender 'In Flames' Wins Mannheim-Heidelberg Prize – Global Bulletin". Variety. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  4. ^ Joshi, Namrata. "Another Pakistani film tackling patriarchy to premiere in France". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  5. ^ NewsBytes. "Hamza Bangash's latest short to premiere at Clermont-Ferrand Int'l Short Film Festival". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  6. ^ Thiessen, Connie (2024-05-31). "Canadian Screen Awards winners: Cinematic Arts". Broadcast Dialogue. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  7. ^ https://www.youlinmagazine.com, Youlin Magazine. "Film Review: Dia by Hamza Bangash - Hala Syed - Youlin Magazine". www.youlinmagazine.com. Retrieved 2024-12-04. {{cite web}}: External link in |last= (help)
  8. ^ Kotzathanasis, Panos (2022-04-18). "Short Film Review: 1978 (2020) by Hamza Bangash". Asian Movie Pulse. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  9. ^ "Stray Dogs Come Out at Night by Hamza Bangash | Short Film". Short of the Week. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  10. ^ Images Staff (2021-08-16). "Pakistani short film Bhai makes it to prestigious Toronto International Film Festival". Images. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
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