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Abid Khan is a British film director of Pakistani heritage. His first feature '' Granada Nights'' was released in the UK in June 2021. ''
Abid Khan is a British film director of Pakistani heritage. His first feature '' Granada Nights'' was released in the UK in June 2021. ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' felt that "in a post-Brexit world, the film and its host of international characters will certainly make the audience pine for the once robust Erasmus programme." Rachel Brook, in ''One Room with a View'', said: "his expat exploits make for infectious fun and the film hits its stride as he does." ''Franglais27 Tales'' called it "a charming, beautifully poetic directional debut ... that will certainly leave it's mark on audiences". Despite the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
and average reviews, it obtained a release in the UK. Khan references the work of Richard Linklater
Richard Stuart Linklater (; born July 30, 1960) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is known for films that revolve mainly around suburban culture and the effects of the passage of time. His films include the comedies '' ...
and his ''Before'' trilogy as one of the film's inspirations. Daniel Battsek
Daniel Battsek (born in 1958) is an English film producer and executive, and current director of Film4. Previously, he was president of Cohen Media Group, Miramax Films and National Geographic Films.
Life and career
Battsek is a graduate of Oxfo ...
(head of Film4
Film4 is a British free-to-air television network owned by Channel Four Television Corporation launched on 1 November 1998, devoted to broadcasting films. While its standard-definition channel is available on Freeview and Freesat platforms, it ...
) awarded Abid Khan's debut as Winner of Best Film at Barnes Film Festival 2020 and a "director to watch".
At sixteen, he became an usher
Usher may refer to:
Several jobs which originally involved directing people and ensuring people are in the correct place:
* Usher (occupation)
** Church usher
** Wedding usher, one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony
** Fiel ...
at a small, local cinema, where he "discovered a love for cinema and visual aesthetics". This "passion" led to a BSc in multimedia
Multimedia is a form of communication that uses a combination of different content forms such as text, audio, images, animations, or video into a single interactive presentation, in contrast to tradition ...
at Manchester Metropolitan University
Manchester Metropolitan University is located in the centre of Manchester, England. The university has over 40,000 students and over 4,000 members of staff. It is home to four faculties (Arts and Humanities, Business and Law, Health and Educat ...
in 2002, followed by an MA degree and the formation of EyeFive Ltd., a film production and digital design company.
He freelanced for fourteen years as a digital designer/art director for advertising agencies: "I storyboarded, designed, directed, edited and produced worldwide campaigns for clients such as Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
, Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
, Sony Pictures
Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Sony Pictures or SPE, and formerly known as Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc.) is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio Conglomerate (company), conglom ...
, Time Magazine
''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on Mar ...
, Nike
Nike often refers to:
* Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory
* Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment
Nike may also refer to:
People
* Nike (name), a surname and feminine given ...
, ASOS
ASOS or Asos may refer to:
* Asos, a village in Greece
* ASOS (retailer), a UK online fashion store
* Association Sportive Oussou Saka, a Beninese football team
* Automated Surface Observing System, a type of weather station
* Air Support Operatio ...
, Canon, Lacoste
Lacoste S.A. is a French company, founded in 1933 by tennis player René Lacoste, and entrepreneur Mangkha. It sells clothing, footwear, sportswear, eyewear, leather goods, perfume, towels and watches. The company can be recognised by its gree ...
and Mercedes Benz
Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquartere ...
."
He has worked in Alabama, Charleston, Berlin, NYC, London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, Granada and Islamabad. He says that: "these global experiences have given me valuable insights into other cultures and visual aesthetics which has shaped my vision and allowed me to create stories about self-discovery, rebellion, exploration and identity in a multi-cultural society."
References