Shehzad Afzal is a writer, director, producer, editor, cinematographer and

game designer Game design is the art of applying design and aesthetics to create a game for entertainment or for educational, exercise, or experimental purposes. Increasingly, elements and principles of game design are also applied to other interactions, in ...

born in

Dundee Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...

, Scotland.Filmedup Filmmaker Profile – Shehzad Afzal
"filmedup.com" He produced and directed

Bo Kata ''Bo Kata'' is a 2007 documentary film produced, directed, edited and shot by Shehzad Afzal. The original soundtrack for Bo Kata was composed by musician John Walden from Fife Scotland, who runs studio outfit Daft Dog Music. Douglas Mackinno ...

a documentary film which received a limited UK theatrical release in 2007.Festival Catalogue Bite the Mango Film Festival 2007 ''filmedup.com''
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Life

A former graduate of

Robert Gordon University Robert Gordon University, commonly called RGU, is a public university in the city of Aberdeen, Scotland. It became a university in 1992, and originated from an educational institution founded in the 18th century by Robert Gordon (philanthropist), ...

University of Abertay , mottoeng = "Blessed is the one who finds wisdom." , established = 1994 – granted University Status 1888 – Dundee Institute of Technology , type = Public , chancellor = Alice Brown , principal = Liz Bacon , head_label = Chair of Co ...

Edinburgh Napier University , mottoeng = Without knowledge, everything is in vain , established = 1992 – granted University status 1964 – Napier Technical College , type = Public , academic_staff = 802 , administrative_staff = 562 , chancellor = Will Whitehorn , ...

and

Dundee College Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, fourth-largest city and the List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mi ...

, where Shehzad studied Computer Science, Creative Writing, Screen Project Development (Screen Academy Scotland, MA with Distinction), and Management; winning the first prize award for his academic achievements and receiving the prestigious Edinburgh Napier University Class Medal. He was a finalist in the Global Digital Cities Video Game Design Competition in 2005 and 2007. In 2010 he was awarded the Abbey Santander Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film and Creative Media. Shehzad was selected for the Engage Programme, a European-wide talent development program in 2010, developing screen projects, traveling to

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...

, and

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

, undertaking workshops and masterclasses. In May 2016, Shehzad attested and became a reservist in the British Army at the age of 47, joining the Corps of Royal Engineers, passing his basic training at

Army Training Centre Pirbright The Army Training Centre Pirbright is an initial training establishment of the British Army, at Pirbright Camp. Scope The ATC, along with the Army Training Regiment Winchester and the Army Training Regiment Grantham, provides Phase 1 milita ...

in February 2017 aged 48, making him one of the very few people to have accomplished this feat. Retiring from the Army in 2022 and awarded

Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal (french: Médaille du jubilé de platine de la reine Elizabeth II) or The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Medal is a commemorative medal created to mark the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accessi ...

2022. After two films, Ravi Dreams (2003), a documentary about culture and mysticism in Lahore and Transvestite Days(2004), a short film giving a glimpse into the life of a Transvestite in Lahore, Pakistan; Afzal's first collaborative film, shot in Edinburgh, Scotland, 2004, was a short four-minute piece called The Full 10 Yards. At Screen Academy Scotland, Shehzad produced two award-winning short films, including the first collaboration on a film project between screen academies in the UK (

Screen Academy Scotland The Screen Academy Scotland (A Skillset Film Academy) is a collaboration between Edinburgh Napier University and Edinburgh College of Art. It was opened in August 2005 by the then First Minister of Scotland, Jack McConnell, and is based in Edinb ...

& Screen Academy Wales). Nominee for the

Satyajit Ray Satyajit Ray (; 2 May 1921 – 23 April 1992) was an Indian director, screenwriter, documentary filmmaker, author, essayist, lyricist, magazine editor, illustrator, calligrapher, and music composer. One of the greatest auteurs of fil ...

Film Foundation Award for Best Film Award 2007 in association with the

British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lan ...

and the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

for documentary film, ''

''. Presented by

Sean Connery Sir Sean Connery (born Thomas Connery; 25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond on film, starring in seven Bond films between 1962 and 1983. Origina ...

, the

Edinburgh International Film Festival The Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) is a film festival that runs for two weeks in June each year. Established in 1947, it is the world's oldest continually running film festival. EIFF presents both UK and international films (all ti ...

2009 &

Skillset A skill is the learned ability to act with determined results with good execution often within a given amount of time, energy, or both. Skills can often be divided into domain-general and domain-specific skills. For example, in the domain of w ...

Trailblazer Award which celebrated emerging talent in

British Cinema The United Kingdom has had a significant film industry for over a century. While film production reached an all-time high in 1936, the "golden age" of British cinema is usually thought to have occurred in the 1940s, during which the directors ...

. In 2019, Shehzad developed an Android Application called Bo Kata Digital, which allowed his documentary, Bo Kata, to be available as a downloadable app available from Amazon App Store and Google Play store.

Filmography

References

External links

*
Film Production profile from filmedup.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Afzal, Shehzad People from Dundee Living people Scottish film directors Scottish film producers Scottish screenwriters Scottish documentary filmmakers British film editors British video game designers British documentary film producers British documentary film directors Alumni of Robert Gordon University Alumni of Abertay University Alumni of Edinburgh Napier University Alumni of the Edinburgh College of Art People educated at Harris Academy Scottish people of Pakistani descent Punjabi people Writers from Dundee Year of birth missing (living people)