Citylights

FILMS    CONTENT    NEWS    TEAM    CONTACT

The Team

Zarrar Kahn - President

Zarrar Kahn, previously known as Hamza Bangash, is an award-winning Canadian-Pakistani writer, director and producer.

He is an alumnus of the TIFF Talent Lab, Locarno Filmmakers Academy, Open Doors Locarno, Asian Film Academy and Director’s Lab program at the Canadian Film Centre. His works have been screened and awarded in over 70+ film festivals worldwide, including TIFF, Locarno, and BFI London. Kahn is currently in post-production on his debut feature film, In Flames. 

The project won the Motion Picture Association, Asia-Pacific First Prize award at Asian Film Academy 2019, was selected for Berlinale Talent Project Market 2020 and participated at the Frontieres Buyers Showcase program at Cannes 2022. The feature film is also a supported by the Locarno Open Doors Screenwriting Fellowship, CFC/Netflix Calling Card Accelerator Grant, Telefilm’s 2020 Talent to Watch program & Canada Arts Council.

Anam Abbas - Director of Production

Anam Abbas is a Pakistani/Canadian film producer, director and cinematographer. She is a 2018 Berlinale Talents, 2020 Berlinale Talents Project Market, 2019 Film Independent Global Media Makers, and 2020 Cannes Producer’s Network fellow.

Anam is also one of the founding members of the Documentary Association of Pakistan (DAP). DAP is a recipient of the 2019 Movies That Matter grant for its national initiative the “Chalta Phirta Film Festival” which will travel across Pakistan from August 2019 to August 2020. DAP has also been awarded the Mastercard/Berlinale Footprints Fellowship in 2020.

Mohammad Ali Hashmi - Director of Development

Mohammad Ali Hashmi is an emerging screenwriter, director and producer. His body of work includes Dia (2018), Stray Dogs Come Out at Night (2020) and his upcoming directorial debut, An Act Of Lamentation (2023). A multi-hyphenate talent, Hashmi’s screenwriting feature debut, Alia & Alessandro, is an immigration comedy which is currently in pre-production with a Canadian producer.

Hashmi has been shortlisted for the prestigious York University MFA in directing program. He is also a script consultant on In Flames , which is slated for a 2023 release.