Mina JafriMalik
Mina JafriMalik is a former model, actor, director, and producer. She is the founder of Audio Visual Alchemy, which was established for the main purpose of producing documentaries and short films concerning socioeconomic and human rights issues.
Your project takes a part in our festival. What is your project about?
The Asifa Bano Story tells the heartbreaking true tale of a young, innocent girl whose life was stolen from her in the most tragic and heinous of ways.
Your project takes a part in our festival. What is your project about?
The Asifa Bano Story tells the heartbreaking true tale of a young, innocent girl whose life was stolen from her in the most tragic and heinous of ways.
What were your requirements for actors to take a part of your film?
We simply wanted to find artists who would be able to help bring the story to life with the sensitivity and tact it deserved.
How did you communicate with the cameraman?
Mostly via Zoom since the filming was done in Pakistan and India while I was in the US.
What locations did you choose for your project? And why?
Location scouting was mostly done by my wonderful choreography director, Nighat, a dear friend of mine. She picked some incredible places to shoot and we owe a great deal of the project's success to her.
Why should distributors buy your film?
This is a film that tells an important story and serves as a cautionary tale for those who would want to let evil and injustice win.
What expression elements did you use in your project? How would you characterize your work?
Through the choreographed reenactment sequence, we tried to bring the tragedy to life in a sensitive way that still depicted how horrific it was.
At what festivals have you had success? Has the film already premiered? If so, where?
The film is quite new on the festival circuit, but we've had some wonderful feedback and won several awards from some amazing festivals who hold the cause very dear.
What motivated you to become a filmmaker?
There are stories that are begging to be shared and I want to do my part in telling them and bringing awareness to important issues that plague our society today.
Which movies are your favorites? And why?
47 Ronin is by far my favorite film. It's emotional, action-packed, and tells a beautiful yet tragic story.
What topics do you like to deal with in your work?
I deal with a lot of heavy issues in my work - things that are hard to face but we need to in order to improve ourselves and create a better future.
What genre do you like to shoot and why?
I prefer shooting documentary style films on social justice issues as I feel that is where I can make the greatest difference.
What project would you like to shoot one day, what would it be about?
I would like to do a project on the transgender community in South Asia. Their struggles and how they've overcome adversity and the resilience these women show in the face of discrimination.
What do you do if you're not thinking about a movie? What are your hobbies?
To be completely honest, I'm always thinking about films. But I enjoy traveling, meditating, yoga, listening to music by the beach, reading, and spending time with my family.
What projects do you plan to shoot in the future?
I have several social justice projects in the pipeline that I'm very excited to share and get started on.