Help Abdullah get into NYU Tisch!

Abdullah Shahid is organizing this fundraiser.

Donation protected

Hi there,

My name is Abdullah and I was recently accepted into the prestigious New York University’s Grad Film MFA program. Something that I would not have thought possible in my wildest dreams but I need your help to make this dream into a reality!

WHO AM I:

I was born and raised in Pakistan and had spent the entirety of my life in Pakistan until I was fortunate enough to be given admission to Pomona College in California which at the time ranked number one on the Forbes America's Top Colleges List 2015. At Pomona I studied Film and Theater, something I would not have been able to do had I stayed in Pakistan. Studying at Pomona College inspired me to pursue a career in education alongside my passion for filmmaking. There, I worked hard and alongside a GPA I was proud of, Pomona College also conferred two awards upon me: The Scott Winslow Award in Media Studies and The Virginia Princehouse Award in Drama. Still, I wanted to return to Pakistan and give back to my country. I began teaching film to high schoolers at TNS Beaconhouse in Lahore, as part of their IB Film Course - I was the first one to begin this course and remain one of the few film teachers teaching at a high school level in all of Pakistan.

Working as a filmmaker in Pakistan is a tall order but one that I am more than ready to engage with as I have done in the last three years. With not much of an industry to speak of, I have spent the majority of my last three years working and saving up to fund my own film projects. What started out years and years ago as short films shot on phones and borrowed DSLRs, I have now been able to turn these films into legitimate productions where I lead a team of around 40 people and was able to pay them all with funds I saved and managed to raise. My most recent short film concluded this past month and is now in the post-production stage.

However, I still feel I lack the necessary skills to adequately contribute to the already crumbling Pakistani film industry. With this in mind, I applied to the top schools in the world for a Masters in Fine Arts (MFA) in Film Production last December. I was extremely lucky to be offered admission to the top 2 schools in the entire world that offer film: New York University (NYU) and University of Southern California (USC). I was beyond pleased with this result as they are both extremely competitive schools (NYU boasts an acceptance rate of only 5%) and they have both produced immensely talented alumni that have gone on to win Oscars, BAFTAs and Golden Globes among other awards and have also been able to create meaningful stories that have shaped the general conscience of their respective communities.

WHY AN MFA?

I believe studying at the best university in the world that offers an MFA in Film Production will help answer many of the questions that I have been looking for many years. What do I actually want to say with what I create, be it film or any other medium of expression? Can I help build a solid community of conscientious film makers and creators where we can all feel like we belong and create an alternate sense of identity for our people. NYU’s film intensive program will give me the opportunity to not only gain collaborations and access resources and exposure of a global film industry, but it will also give me the chance to just make films. At the end of the day, that is all I want to do. I desperately wish to tell stories and have invested whatever meagre savings I could put together towards financing my own film efforts, but find the environment here impossible to develop my craft in. The possibility of going for this masters and working with others towards the creation of a singular film feels truly magical.

True cinema that has the ability to change people’s lives and evoke emotion from its viewers is rare and I deeply resonate with the collaborative process and spirit that NYU prioritises - something I feel I have sincerely lacked in my time working in Pakistan. My goal as a filmmaker is to be able to tell unique stories that reflect the culture and identity I bring with me. As Martin Scorcese famously said (made even more popular by Bong Joon-Ho), “the personal is the most creative”. I have a deep desire to find community and guidance which can help me and feel I can only achieve that by being in a community that inspires me to think about stories and express them in a style that is uniquely mine. I would be hard pressed to find one that fits this definition moreso than the one at NYU.

I want to help create a film community in Pakistan where both filmmakers and film theorists can thrive. As one of the few film teachers in Pakistan, teaching gives me a unique opportunity to provide the kind of education that I wish I had been given when I was my students’ age. Had I not been awarded financial aid, I would have not been able to create a small community of young dedicated students and their stories might not have been told. I believe this funding will help me learn from the great practitioner's of our day and help me establish myself as a robust filmmaker. When I was given the chance to study film academically in college, I vowed to bring that knowledge back to Pakistan and develop it to the best of my abilities. I wish to not only work on crafting stories but also wish to spread this knowledge by continuing working in educational capacities.

I look at these goals not just as mere dreams that I hope to achieve one day, but as the root cause of my being, the purpose behind my existence. They give meaning to my life and remind me everyday how privileged I am to be able to follow my passion and enable a similar exploration for like-minded people in the process. It is these aspirations that financial support will help me accomplish. I am indeed grateful to be considered for getting an opportunity to study at NYU. I truly hope you resonate with my passion as well as my desire to excel at my craft.

WHAT I NEED FROM YOU:

Higher education has only been made possible for me through the generosity of institutional scholarships and funding. I was able to do my undergraduate degree from one of the best liberal arts colleges in the US through sizable financial aid by Pomona College.

NYU has granted me a 50 percent merit based scholarship of $35,000 per year. While extremely generous, it does not nearly cover enough of the fees required for me to be able to afford it, which is approximately $102,000 per year including the living costs of New York. Amidst the recent economic crisis that Pakistan is going through, my family’s savings have severely devalued and after a re-evaluation of our assets, it is unfathomable that I may be able to fund this degree.

After asking for extensive loans from friends and family, I’ve pushed all my resources to the limit but unfortunately this will not be enough to cover the costs. I am hoping and relying on the generosity of people like you who will resonate with my ambitions and my drive to be a filmmaker and be able to tell the stories that often go underrepresented on the big screen. Any donations will go far in helping me achieve my dreams of studying at the best film program in the world.

MY WORK!

If you would like to check out some of my work please visit my (slightly outdated) website!

Some highlights of my work:

Mujrim | A short proof of concept film that helped get me into USC and NYU.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlDYPeUVRo8)

Janaaza | My thesis film from college which was in film festivals in the US, UK and India as well as the winner of the Scott Winslow Award in Media Studies at Pomona College.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPDSA3WC3gI)

Some Left To Be Desired | A theoretical essay I wrote on The Legend of Maula Jutt.

(https://medium.com/@abdullahshahid_79168/some-left-to-be-desired-the-legend-of-maula-jutt-699d9e74d8cc)

Style vs Substance | A theoretical essay I wrote on Laal Kabootar.

(https://medium.com/@abdullahshahid_79168/style-vs-substance-laal-kabootar-analysis-dce4de17f050)