By Bilal Naveed
LAHORE (Tuesday, November 09, 2020): Maria Javed, a student of National College of Arts (NCA), Lahore has won an international award for her animation film titled Ran’aa (light of empathy) by competing filmmakers from 50 countries at Jharkhand International Film Festival and Awards (JIFFA) 2020 in India.
Ran’aa fosters pro-social behavior in a child.
The festival demonstrates that film as a cultural product can serve as a binding factor. While talking to The Educationist, Maria said “It’s a huge pleasure to know that my concept, work, and the idea is appreciated and acknowledged internationally”.
She said that since partition, Pakistan and India’s relations witnessed various ups and downs as a ban was imposed on sports and films whenever mutual relations between them became tense and unstable. “It is unfortunate that art and cinema, which are like a cultural bridge and makes people come closer are being held hostage by forces of hate.” But at this time when there is rising tensions and films in a politically driven tit for tat maneuvers, Maria Javed got an international award in India.