Organised by SAARC CULTURAL CENTRE, SRI LANKA Organised by SAARC Cultural Centre. Sri Lanka www.saarcculture.org1 INDEX OF FILMS A LET TER TO THE PRESIDENT (AFGHANISTAN/ FEATURE) GOHRAALHU (Maldives/ Feature) Directed by Roya Sadat Directed by Ahmed Shinan AFGHANISTAN NIGHT STORIES (AFGHANISTAN/ FEATURE) SOUL (Maldives/ Short) Directed by Alka Sadat Directed by Ali Seezan SALARY (Afghanistan/ Short) BULBUL (Nepal/ Feature) Directed by Khadim Hussain Byhname Directed by Binod Paudel SINGLE MOTHER (Afghanistan/ Short) PRASAD (Nepal/ Feature) Directed by Aqila Farahmand Directed by Dinesh Raut LIGHT BREEZE (Afghanistan/ Master) THE MOON IS BRIGHT TONIGHT (Nepal/ Short) Directed by Sahraa Karimi Directed by Abinash Bikram Shah FAGUN HAOAY (Bangladesh/ Feature) THE REMAINS (Nepal/ Short) Directed by Tauquir Ahmed Directed by Manoj Babu Pant KOMOLA ROCKET (Bangladesh/ Feature) HARI (Nepal/ Master) Directed by Noor Imran Mithu Directed by Safal K.C A QUARTER MILE COUNTRY (Bangladesh/ Short) LOAD WEDDING (Pakistan/ Feature) Directed by Noman Robin Directed by Nabeel Qureshi SEE YOU (Bangladesh/ Short) MOTOR CYCLE GIRL (Pakistan/ feature) Directed by Chaitali Somadder, Syful Akbar Khan Directed by Adnan Sarwar ALPHA (Bangladesh/ Master) CHALAY THAY SAATH (Pakistan/ master) Directed by Nasir Uddin Yousuff Directed by Umer Adil THE VESTED ASTROLOGER (Bhutan/ Feature) BURNING BIRDS (Sri Lanka/ Feature) Directed by Kinga Kinley Tshering Directed by Sanjewa Pushpakumara THE WIND OF KARMA (Bhutan/ Feature) THE WIND BENEATH US (Sri Lanka/ Feature) Directed by Karma Lhatrul Dorji Directed by Nuwan Jayathilake A WOMAN OF PURE HEART (Bhutan/ short) THE IMAGE (Sri Lanka/ Short) Directed by Kinga Kinley Tshering Directed by Chathumi Vidhushika ROW (Bhutan/ Short) TRADITION (Sri Lanka/ Short) Directed by Karma Lhatrul Dorji Directed by Lanka Bandaranayake NAGARKIRTAN (India/ Feature) palama yata (Sri Lanka/ Master) Directed by Kaushik Ganguly Directed by H.D. Premaratne WALKING WITH THE WIND (India/ Feature) Directed by Praveen Morchhale MONITOR (India/ Short) Directed by Hari Viswanath “NA BOLE WO HARAM...!” (India/ Short) Directed by Nitish Vivek Patankar PADMAAVAT (India/ Master) Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali 2 SAARC CULTURAL CENTRE SAARC Cultural Centre is the multifaceted realm of Asian Heritage freely with the the SAARC Regional Centre the Arts. It aims to create an world at large, it continues for Culture and it is based in inspirational and conducive to foray into the realm of Sri Lanka. It was established environment, to meet and publications and research and by the Governments and exchange their inter-regional the Centre will endeavour to Heads of States of the SAARC creative visions and promote make all publications available Countries to promote cultural deeper discussion and online on its website: www. cooperation within the analysis. In its view to be as saarcculture.org Region, to enhance cultural inclusive as possible in its The SAARC Cultural Centre understanding and harmony outlook and artistic vision, is a part of SAARC, the South amongst the people of South the Centre explores all forms Asian Association for Regional Asia and to share the distinct of art, that of Performing Cooperation, created with a cultural identity of South Asia Arts such as dance, music, vision to build and further with the world. drama, theatre, puppetry and promote understanding folk culture; Visual Art such The Centre functions as an between the eight countries of as painting, sculpture, film important focal point for the South Asian Region. Eight making, photography, and the artistic communities of countries which are already Literature reflecting the vision the eight Member States of inherently bound together of the SAARC Agenda for Afghanistan, Bangladesh, in a richly woven tapestry of Culture. Bhutan, India, Maldives, shared history and heritage Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri The Centre also encourages brimming with warm hearted Lanka. The Centre promotes and invites further analysis people, fertile lands, a myriad Regional understanding and and exploration through its of colour and its very own and harmony through Cultural publications on varied topics unique beauty, art and culture. and Research Programmes, from the South Asian Diaspora brought about with a view to Traditional Knowledge to inspire individuals and and Cultural Expression, groups of Artistes, to partake Sustainable Development and in varied and diverse activities Tourism. In its quest to share and events encompassing the value and depth of South 3 Message from the Hon. Prime Minister 4 Message from the Minister of Foreign Affairs 5 Message from the Minister of Housing, Construction and Cultural Affairs 6 Message from the Secretary-General of SAARC 7 Message from the Director, SAARC Cultural Centre, Sri Lanka 8 AWARDS Trophy for Best Feature Film Trophy for Best Short Film Trophy for Best Director Trophy for Best Screenplay Trophy for Best Actor Trophy for Best Actress Trophy for Best Cinematographer Trophy for Best Editor Trophy for Best Sound Designer Trophy for Best Original Score (Music Composer) Two Special Jury Awards 9 NOMINATED FILMS AND OPEN CATEGORY FILMS FROM THE REGION 10 Afghanistan 11 A Letter to the President Feature/ 83 mins/ Afghanistan Synopsis “A Letter to the President” tells the story of a young woman named Soraya who is Director sentenced to death for murdering her husband. To save her life, she writes a letter to Roya Sadat the President. And the President, after reading her story in her letter, realizes some untold facts about her case. The film revolves around Soraya, a mother of two, who Producer tries to balance her career as the head of the Kabul Crime Division and her life as Aziz Deldar, Roya Sadat the wife of a very rich but on the verge of alcoholism husband, who, additionally, is Story dominated by his gangster father. The already crumbling balance ends when Soraya Roya Sadat decides to save a woman who is being accused of adultery and is actually sentenced Screenplay to death by the village elders, and in the process defies the man in charge of the area, Leena Alam Commander Essmat Khan, who happens to be an associate of her father-in-law. The Music repercussions are huge and violence ensues in Soraya’s house, in a series of events Zabih Mahdi that lead to her killing her husband and her subsequent imprisonment, facing the capital punishment. The only thing that can save her is a letter to the President and Cinematographer the efforts of Behzad, an associate who is in love with her but manages to make things Behrooz Badrooj worse when he expresses his feelings through an exhibition of his paintings. Editor Ahmad Farid Farahmand, Razi Kashi Roya Sadat Original Score/ Music Shailendra Barve Being passionate about producing films and Sound Designer considering restrictive atmosphere during the Taliban Resul Pookutty, Arnav Dutta regime in her country she started writing scripts for plays and movies. In 1999, even during the Taliban regime, she wrote and directed a play for a theater show for a group of Afghan women. After the Taliban regime came to an end, she started making films and her first feature film as a producer and director was “Three Dots”, known in Afghanistan as “Se noughta”, or “Ellipsis”. She made this film in less than two weeks, in a digital video format. The film, though not a quality product, still gave an exposure to the western audience on the status of women in Afghanistan. 12 Afghanistan Night Stories Feature/ 120 mins/ Afghanistan Synopsis Director A special commando unit was set up within the Afghan army to fight against the Alka Sadat Taliban and other violent militia. Filmmaker Alka Sadat, who as a woman had to obtain permission from the mullah before shooting among the troops, records Producer everyday life in the Afghan commando camp and follows the men on their Alka Sadat for Roya Film House dangerous, often nocturnal, missions. These military operations, for which the Cinematographer soldiers are constantly on standby, contrast starkly with the everyday routine of Sina Saboory the camp. Whistling, a soldier fixes his hair at the bathroom mirror; outside, men Editor are playing volleyball and messing around with the pigeons, which coo loudly in Alka Sadat the otherwise mouse-still surroundings. In the cramped dormitory, soldiers play board games and flip channels from a singer to Barack Obama, who is announcing the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan. Sadat also places the men individually in front of her camera, where they reticently talk about their loves, their families, the opportunities of the modern age and their big dream of a secure future. Everything is punctuated by the recurring orders and helicopters arriving to drop the soldiers into some unfamiliar area, where they have only two options: kill or be killed. Alka Sadat Alka Sadat is an Afghan documentary and feature film producer, director and cameraman. She became famous with her first 25-minute film “Half Value Life”, which highlights social injustice and crime; the film won several awards. 13 Salary Short/ 25 mins/ Afghanistan Synopsis The film shot in the rustic backdrop of Afghanistan, depicts the struggle of a young Director boy who sells match boxes for his living. An orphan with no home or shelter, he Khadim Hussain Byhnam sleeps under a tree and his only possession is a basket in which he carries the match boxes. The film takes through the emotions of this boy who is fighting his loneliness Producer and his scuffle with fate when his basket of match boxes is stolen. Alisha Nazari & Ali Baba Nadiri Cinematographer Khadim Hussain Byhnam Khadim Hussain Byhname Cast Jalil Nazari, Saadat Hussainy, Farida Khadim Hussain Byhname was born into a cultural Mirzaiy family in Ghazni / Afghanistan in 1993. His interest in cinema led him to filmmaking. He is now a fourth- year student in Kabul University. He has established the “Image of Thought” group and has made 9 short films in three years.