APM - Asian Project Market

 

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Director’s Profile

Director′s Profile Iram Parveen Bilal is a creator excited to tell impactful stories that envision an inclusive world. Raised in Nigeria and Pakistan, she is a certified third culture ′citizen′. Her latest feature, I′ll Meet You There (2020), was nominated for the Grand Jury Award for Narrative Feature at SXSW 2020 and was recently honored for its courage and conscience at the MPAC Media Awards 2022. Her next feature, One of a Kind, was one of fifteen projects at the invite-only program Cannes L′Atelier 2019 and is in selection at this year′s APM. Eager to raise while rising, Bilal initiated the Pakistani Oscar committee and is the founder of QALAMBAAZ, Pakistan′s first professional screenwriting lab, now in its eighth year. She has been profiled by the New York Times, and featured on NPR, the BBC, Bloomberg, and in Filmmaker Magazine, among others. When she isn′t telling stories, she is dancing to Bollywood tunes or ′nerding out′ with fellow Caltech engineers. She believes genuine curiosity is the only antidote to fear.

Synopsis

Noor Malik, an educator, widow, and single mother, is the founder of her small town′s first girl′s section in a public school, which is rapidly going bankrupt. She has dreams of opening an entire school for the girls, who she has grown to love like her own. But, fighting with her inlaws for custody of her loving, 10-year-old son, her constantly nagging stepmother who believes she should resettle (as a woman′s worth is solely attached to that of her husband), and the imminent shutdown of the girl′s school; all propel her one day to adopt unexpectedly an incognito new personality at an underground party. Noor stumbles upon the power of social media when unknown admirers secretly upload a video of her while she is giving an unapologetic speech as her secret and provocative alter ego. The video goes viral, and in an instant ′Wakhri′ (one of a kind) is born. Wakhri becomes a muse for the sex-starved crowds of Pakistan. She craftily uses her newfound celebrity status to promote social causes and create a real socio-economic impact. But fame is tricky.

Achievements

2023 Rea Sea International Film Festival - In Competition
2024 South by Southwest Film Festival
2024 Cleveland International Film Festival - In Competition
2024 Bentonville Film Festival - Opening Film
2024 San Francisco International Film Festival - In Competition
2024 VC Film Fest - In Competition (Audience Award)
2024 Asian American International Film Festival - Emerging Director Award
2024 Nepal America International Film Festival - Honorable Mention
Released in Pakistan

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