Award-winning independent film ‘a great advert for the town’
AGROUND-BREAKING film has won a trio of awards and is putting Rochdale on the film-making map.
Zafar Iqbal, from Kashmiri Productions UK CIC, is the man behind the first Pahari-pothohari British independent feature film, called Miki Kharo Kashmir, which was made in Rochdale during spring this year.
It features top Pakistani stars Shahzada Ghaffar and Shahnaz Khan.
The film had its world premiere at our local Reel cinema on 15 July, the Luton mayor charity premiere was held on 25 October at Cineworld cinema and on 4 December the Birmingham community premiere was held at Mockingbird cinema.
The next film screening will take place in Bradford on 24 January 2024 at the Light cinema.
There has been a hattrick of awards for Zafar and his team for this landmark film and organising AJK Film Festival, including Outstanding Contribution to the Community and fundraising award by Mayor of Luton 2023; Asian Media Achievement Award by DMTV 2023; and Best Producer award by Oracle Magazine & Events 2023.
Zafar Iqbal, actor and filmmaker, said: “The awards, film and the festival are a great advert for our town, local talent, our community film production company and promoting Kashmiri language and culture.
“The film also features
Sonia Khan, a rising Kashmiri actress. The feedback, response and experiencing national tour (cinema release) for our local film is out of this world.
“Organising and leading the national cinema release is a tough job but we all are going above and beyond on a volunteer basis to make this happen, creating history and sending out the message that if you are passionate about something and work towards it like there’s no tomorrow then it will happen for you.
“We are keeping the legacy of co-op movement alive in terms of creating a local product and spreading it everywhere.
“We are very grateful to the cinemas, supporters and participants.”