Congratulations are in order for Shoaib Sultan, whose short Darya kay Iss Par (Across the River) has won three awards at the prestigious New York City International Film Festival (NYCIFF). The 30-minute film won three awards at the film festival for Best Short Film, Best Director and Best Leading Actress (Khaba Aziz).
The film revolves around spreading awareness about women's suicides and psychological problems in the Chitral District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Produced by Nighat Akbar Shah, the film Darya kay Iss Par has been helmed by Shoaib Sultan. According to Express PK, Sultan said that this was his first experience of directing a film.
He expressed his gratitude and has thanked the Almighty for the response his short has garnered. Calling it "a moment of pride for the team and Pakistan", the director said he has been overwhelmed with the international recognition.
Sultan added that 96 films from all over the world competed in the festival while a Pakistani film managed to bag an award in the Indian, Mexican and American films category. The festival had 15 categories based on different features.
Apart from suicides in Chitral, Darya Ke Iss Paar also focused on people suffering from mental health issues. The film revolves around a girl named Gul Zarin, who is from the northern parts of Pakistan. Zarin suffers from severe mental health issues but due to the lack of education, no one pays heed to Zarin's deteriorating condition, which results in propelling her to take drastic measures.
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