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Jury and Awards

This year we are pleased to present an international jury of film professionals judging the films at MISAFF 2013.

In pursuing a more inclusive agenda, MISAFF hopes to diversify its categories for awards. Films will be judged using criteria such as their uniqueness, social conscience, ingenuity, creative use of resources, music and choreography. Best shot and long form fiction and documentary prizes will be awarded along with a few others the jury feels it must recognize.

Shireen Pasha

Filmmaker and director of the film and television program at the National College of Arts in Lahore, Pakistan, Shireen is a force to contend with. Her students sing her praises and the Pakistani documentary industry is indebted to her services.

Kirk Cooper

Kirk Cooper is the founder of Film Market Access (FMA), a film consulting and PR firm and a festival Strategist, successfully introducing the film to festivals across Canada and the U.S. With over 12 years experience in the global arts and entertainment industry, Kirk has a solid handle on providing professional services in Communications, Marketing, Project Management and Development, and Film & Television productions. Kirk involvement in the industry began as an advocate for indie filmmakers at the Black Film & Video Network, a stint that segued into the role of independent film programmer for ReelWorld Film Festival and programming for festivals such as Inside Out, Pan African (L.A.-based), and Planet in Focus in 07 and 2012. He has achieved success on numerous films selected for Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). With his work taking him to Cannes and L.A, Kirk steadily built a network of contacts, not only in France and the U.S., but also in England, South Africa, and the Caribbean. Kirk created two FMA initiatives to assist young filmmakers in increasing their visibility at the festivals. His Cannes and Toronto Programs incorporate knowledge of film commerce, encourages intuitive thinking, and builds confident networking capacities among his participants. Ever mindful of "indie" budget constraints, Kirk has developed his programs so that they remain top quality and affordable for emerging professionals. Kirk is currently a programmer at the Canadian Film Festival.

Nurjahan Akhlaq

Nurjahan Akhlaq was born in Lahore, Pakistan and grew up between Pakistan, the United States, Turkey and Canada. She received her BFA in film production at Concordia University in Montreal in 2004, where she received the Best Student Documentary Award upon graduating and also the Best Documentary at the Montreal Word Student Film Festival for Flight. Her work has screened at over 25 film festivals internationally and has received numerous accolades and awards. Akhlaq completed her MFA in Fine Art from Goldsmiths College, University of London in 2008 and also works as a visual artist.