Kami Sid-starrer short film, Rani, makes it to NBCUniversal Short Film Festival -
Pakistan Press Foundation

Kami Sid-starrer short film, Rani, makes it to NBCUniversal Short Film Festival

Pakistan Press Foundation

Earlier this week the finalists for the 13th Annual NBCUniversal Short Film Festival were announced and the good news is that Pakistani short film, Rani, featuring transgender model and activist Kami Sid, has made the cut.

Rani was previously selected from more than 3,500 films as one of the fifteen semi-finalists and is now one of the six finalists at the festival, which is known for celebrating diverse storytelling and exploring race relations, women’s rights, as well as gender and sexual identity as subject among other things.

Written and directed by Hammad Rizvi and produced by Akbar Allana and Sara Siddiqi, Rani follows the story of a Pakistani transgender, who is a toy vendor and after finding an abandoned infant becomes a parent. Her decision to bring up the child unfolds some harsh realities that she has to face, being a transgender. Shot on the streets of Karachi, the short film has been produced by GrayScale and Rizvilia Productions.

The awards ceremony will recognize winners including Best Writer, Best Director and Best Actor. They will be determined by a panel of entertainment industry professionals, members of the press, and NBCUniversal executives.

Apart from being selected as one of the finalists, the short film has been previously screened at Rhode Island International Film Festival, CAAMFEST in San Francisco and has also won the Fox Inclusion Short Award at the Outfest Los Angeles Film Festival.

Rani is scheduled to be screened at a red carpet event in Los Angeles on October 24, 2018.

The News International