Open House: opportunity to pursue career in filmmaking | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Open House: opportunity to pursue career in filmmaking

ISLAMABAD: The South Asian Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Television (SAAMPT), the only film school in Pakistan, is holding an ‘open house’ at the federal capital’s Gallery 6 on July 15. This will provide an opportunity to the prospective students interested in filmmaking, their parents and other professionals to meet with the highly qualified faculty of SAAMPT and learn about academic offerings, international linkages and foreign study trips. One-on-one counselling will also be available.

Discussing the event, curator of the gallery, Dr Arjumand Faisel, said that the purpose of the ‘open house’ is to elicit interest of the students who may like to pursue filmmaking as their career in Pakistan or abroad. Potential candidates will be apprised about the academy, specialisations, and faculty, foreign visits to schools and affiliations and collaboration.

Currently, SAAMPT has enrollment of 18 students studying several specialisations. SAAMPT advisory board consists of film director Mira Nair, Jamil Dehlavi, Javed Jabbar, Mehreen Jabbar, Jami Mahmood, Nadeem H Mandviwalla and top film academicians, Professor Chris Swider (Film and Video Dept of Columbia College in Chicago) and William Gilcher of the University of Iowa, US.

SAAMPT currently offers one-year programme in digital and documentary filmmaking and a two-year advanced programme in directing for camera and cinematography. It was launched in February 2010. With its successful completion of the first and second semesters, students graduating from SAAMPT will be invaluable addition to the film and television industries in Pakistan.

SAAMPT is also offering intensive eight-week filmmaking workshop and a six-week short course with William Gilcher. Gilcher is SAAMPT adviser and faculty. The academy is affiliated with Sindh Board of Technical Education and is a member of CILECT (International Association of Film and Television Schools). It is also an academic partner with RK Film and Media Academy, New Delhi, India, and the prestigious Prague Film School.

Daily Times