Faraz Waqar
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21 January 1976
Faraz Waqar | |
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| Born | Faraz Waqar 21 January 1976 Karachi, Pakistan |
| Occupations | Writer, film director |
| Years active | 2012–present |
Faraz Waqar (born 21 January 1976) is a Pakistani filmmaker, writer, and director. He directed Meeoww Billi aur World War 3 (2013), considered the first silent film produced in Pakistan. In 2015, he received the award for Best Short Film – Middle East at the HUM TV Awards.
The era of silent films had already ended by the time of Pakistan's independence in 1947. The new country inherited a film industry rooted in the British Raj, centred primarily in Lahore, that had been producing sound films since the 1930s. The Pakistani film industry (also known as Lollywood) did not produce a silent film until 2013, when Waqar completed Meeoww Billi aur World War 3. The film is described as an artistic experiment drawing on the traditions of silent cinema and carrying a political message.[citation needed]
Faraz Waqar was born into a Muslim family in Karachi, Pakistan, where he was raised and educated. He received a Master's in Business Administration from the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) in 1998. From 1999 to 2011, he worked as a brand and marketing manager for multinational corporations and banks in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.[citation needed] In 2012, he completed a one-year diploma in filmmaking at the New York Film Academy's campus in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Career
Waqar has been an active filmmaker since 2012. His first film, 9:11 am, was among a small number of Pakistani films selected for the Cannes Film Festival Short Film Corner in 2012.[1] The film was also part of the official selection at the Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival (MISAFF) in Mississauga, Canada, and the Gandhara Film Festival in Pakistan.[citation needed]
In August 2013, Waqar produced and directed an experimental music film tribute to the South Asian pop singer Nazia Hassan, titled Imagineer, released on the thirteenth anniversary of her death.[2] The film highlighted Hassan's contributions to South Asian pop and Bollywood film music.[citation needed]
Waqar completed Meeoww Billi aur World War 3 in September 2013. The film was selected for screening at several international film festivals in 2013 and 2014, including the Lahore International Film Festival and the FiLUMS Film Festival.[citation needed]
In 2015, Waqar received the award for Best Short Film – Middle East at the HUM TV Awards.[3] His subsequent film, OTHER-ISTAN – The Other Face of Pakistan, was completed in 2016.[citation needed]
Prior to his filmmaking career, Waqar worked in brand marketing and was involved in the development of commercial advertising for international and Pakistani brands. In 2002, he was part of the team responsible for conceiving and producing the inaugural Lux Style Awards for Unilever in Pakistan.[citation needed]
Personal life
Waqar is the son of the late Syed Waqar Ali and artist and interior designer Naheed Waqar. He has two younger siblings: a sister, Rida Waqar, who is an architect, and a brother, Adnan Waqar, who works in banking.[citation needed] He resides in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.[2]
