Dir Bio: Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy is the only female director to have been awarded two Academy Awards by the age of 37. Since 2001, she has made over two dozen multi award films in over 16 countries around the world. Her films include Student Athlete, Girl in the river, Song of Lahore, Saving Face, PeaceKeepers and Transgenders: Pakistan’s Open Secret. In 2012, Time Magazine included Sharmeen in their annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. That same year the Pakistan Government awarded her with highest civil honor “Hilal -e–Imtiaz ”. In 2013, the Canadian government awarded her a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for her work in the field of documentary films and the World Economic Forum honored her with a Crystal Award at their annual summit in Davos. In 2017 the International Center for Journalists awarded her the Knight International Journalism Award for her work that led to legislative change. In 2017, Sharmeen was the first artist to co-chair the “World Economic Forum”at Davos. In 2018, Sharmeen was awarded The Eliasson Global Leadership Prize of The Tällberg Foundation for ‘Leadership in a Disrupted World’. Sharmeen holds a Bachelor's degree from Smith college and two masters degrees from Stanford University. In 2018, Smith College awarded her an honorary degree in Fine Arts.
Films shown in Divvy Film Festival 2024
Climate Change - State of Emergency - Hangami Halaat
dir: SOC Films | Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy
run time: 7 mins
production year: 2023
documentary short
synopsis: Architect Wajiha Siddiqui Mehdi takes center stage in this thought-provoking film as she addresses the housing needs of climate-displaced individuals. Wajiha offers sustainable solutions while balancing aesthetics, functionality, and sustainability, highlighting the pressing need for climate- resilient housing in a changing world.
Climate Change - Our Bond With Sea
dir: SOC Films | Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy
run time: 8:20
production year: 2023
documentary short
synopsis: This film follows the inspiring journey of Usman Iqbal and Asif Baloch, who are dedicated to cleaning the oceans by retrieving discarded fishing nets that pose a threat to marine life. It sheds light on the dangers of ghost nets, emphasizing the interconnectedness of environmental issues and the need for collective action.
Films shown in Divvy Film Festival 2021
This film highlights the roles of individual activists in safeguarding the rights of minorities where the state has failed them. Through the contributions of three activists, we see how these individuals have been working towards the rights of minorities.
This film highlights the systematic oppression women face on a daily basis at work in the media industry in Pakistan. We are introduced to three veteran female journalists, all of whom describe their individual experiences with harassment.
Sitara takes the audience on a journey through the old city of Lahore in the 1970s, where a fourteen-year-old girl called Pari dreams of becoming a pilot. Pari’s story is told through the perspective of her six-year-old sister, who like the audience is unaware of the traditions and barriers that lay in the paths of women from this family.
Films shown in Divvy Film Festival 2020
Song of Lahore follows several Pakistani musicians, and asks if there is still room for them in a society roiled by conflict. Featuring the music of the Sachal Jazz Ensemble, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis.
