'Future film-makers should have low expectations' By Samina W. Perozani
Mansoor Khalid, a promising young film-maker, is the head of the Content and Communication Department at Evernew Studios in Karachi. A former student of the Department of Mass Communication at the University of Karachi, Khalid worked as a copy writer for Lowe and Rauf briefly and then went on to do his Master's in Media Studies from the University of East London. It was Khalid's stint at Aag Televisionupon his return in 2005 and his subsequent production of the show titled 'Aag Shorts' that put him in the limelight. Here, he talks to Kolachi about making movies, the challenges involved, and his experience thus far.
Kolachi: Tell us a little bit about 'Aag Shorts' and your work at Evernew.
Mansoor Khalid: Well, basically, 'Aag Shorts' was an experimental project and focused on bringing together amateur film-makers on one platform. In each episode of the show, one short film was shown, which was followed by a discussion or critique. Short films from all genres produced by film-makers in both Karachi and Lahore were put together. The show ran for two quarters and the good thing about it was that while it did have a niche viewership, it was not class-specific. The major reason the show was aired was to establish the fact that film-making is serious work and not fun, but unfortunately, the project had to be discontinued for commercial reasons.
My work at Evernew, on the other hand, involves commissioning projects, mainly soaps and serials. Now we are expanding into talk shows as well as game shows, but at the moment, the focus is on television dramas.
Kolachi: You've moved away from mainstream film-making at the studio. Why?
MK: We cannot produce films right now because the profit margins are low. Also, there aren't enough places where movies can be screened, so it's not wise to invest in movies right now. However, we are involved with distributing one Indian movie a month, which I feel has revived cinema culture to an extent. The real test is commercial cinema, and before we can go into production for that, it is important to motivate the masses to go to movie theatres.
Kolachi: Tell us a little bit about 'Aag Shorts' and your work at Evernew.
Mansoor Khalid: Well, basically, 'Aag Shorts' was an experimental project and focused on bringing together amateur film-makers on one platform. In each episode of the show, one short film was shown, which was followed by a discussion or critique. Short films from all genres produced by film-makers in both Karachi and Lahore were put together. The show ran for two quarters and the good thing about it was that while it did have a niche viewership, it was not class-specific. The major reason the show was aired was to establish the fact that film-making is serious work and not fun, but unfortunately, the project had to be discontinued for commercial reasons.
My work at Evernew, on the other hand, involves commissioning projects, mainly soaps and serials. Now we are expanding into talk shows as well as game shows, but at the moment, the focus is on television dramas.
Kolachi: You've moved away from mainstream film-making at the studio. Why?
MK: We cannot produce films right now because the profit margins are low. Also, there aren't enough places where movies can be screened, so it's not wise to invest in movies right now. However, we are involved with distributing one Indian movie a month, which I feel has revived cinema culture to an extent. The real test is commercial cinema, and before we can go into production for that, it is important to motivate the masses to go to movie theatres.
posted by temporal at 4/06/2009
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CALL FOR ENTRIESFinal Deadline – May 8, 200913th LA Shorts Fest July 23-30, 2009 the largest short film festival in the world. Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences accredited. In past years, 33 participants have earned Academy Award nominations including 11 Oscar winning short films! The festival annually attracts more than 10,000 moviegoers, filmmakers and entertainment professionals looking for the hottest new talent. We have honored some of Hollywood’s legends of the past: Charles Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, and Robert Wise; along with actors Martin Landau, James Woods, Gary Oldman and directors Tim Burton, Bryan Singer, Jan de Bont, Paul Haggis and Shane Black.
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