Private Project

Taken for Granted - Short Film

Logline - “Āin”, a teenage girl from a small village of Herat, Afghanistan (near the border of Iran), is visiting Kabul with her father to participate in a robotics competition and gets separated in the Kabul market when the Taliban attack, and her only way out is in the middle of it all.

Synopsis – This story is about Āin who is smart, talented, LOVES to learn, has big dreams, and has an urge to do something through education that would make a difference in her life as well as many others like her.
Āin is visiting Kabul with her father to take part in a robotics competition and gets separated from him when the Taliban attack the market they were in. In this chaos, she gets pushed into an enclosed place and soon finds out that she is not the only one in there. She finds comfort in knowing that she is not alone in the enclosed place, but at the same time, it is about finding courage in making the remaining journey on her own.

  • Manasi Patel
    Director
  • Manasi Patel
    Writer
  • Manasi Patel
    Producer
  • Manasi Patel
    Executive Producer
  • Amelia Rae
    Key Cast
    "Āin"
  • Mojan Nourbakhsh
    Key Cast
    "Āydāh"
  • Sara Garth
    Cinematography
  • Ali Shahriari
    Editor
  • Emily Kae Muller
    Production Design
  • Kirsten Carey
    Music Composers
    Guitar
  • Mike Khoury
    Music Composers
    Viola
  • Mike List
    Music Composers
    Percussion
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    13 minutes 7 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 13, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    13,500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    Persian
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Best Shorts Competition - June 2021
    La Jolla
    United States
    Award of Excellence: Film Short
  • Best Shorts Competition - June 2021
    La Jolla
    United States
    Award of Excellence: Women Filmmakers
  • Cosmic Film Festival
    Central Florida
    United States
    July 15, 2021
    Finalist - Best Short Film
  • World Film Carnival - Singapore
    Victoria Street
    Singapore
    July 24, 2021
    Outstanding Achievement Award - Women's Film
  • Tagore International Film Festival
    Birbhum, West Bengal
    India
    July 31, 2021
    Outstanding Achievement Award - Women's Film
  • Gangtok International Film Festival
    Gangtok, Sikkim
    India
    August 4, 2021
    Outstanding Achievement Award - Best Short Film
  • Tokyo International Film Festival
    Tokyo
    Japan
    August 1, 2021
    Finalist - Best Short Film
  • Druk International Film Festival
    Paro
    Bhutan
    August 20, 2021
    Outstanding Achievement Award - Short Film
  • Druk International Film Festival
    Paro
    Bhutan
    August 20, 2021
    Outstanding Achievement Award - Women's Film
  • Calcutta International Cult Film Festival
    Kolkata, West Bengal
    India
    August 18, 2021
    Winner - Women's Films
  • London Indie Shorts Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    September 17, 2021
    Semi Finalist - Narrative International Shorts
  • Detroit Trinity International Film Festival
    Detroit, MI
    United States
    August 19, 2021
    Official Selection - Short Film
  • The Hollywood First-Time Filmmaker Showcase
    Hollywood, CA
    United States
    September 12, 2021
    Official Selection - All Film Categories
  • Los Angeles Lift-Off Film Festival
    Hollywood, CA
    United States
    September 12, 2021
    Official Selection - Short Live Action Narratives
  • Silicon Beach Film Festival
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    October 2, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Florida Shorts Film Festival
    Florida
    United States
    September 30, 2021
    Semi-Finalist - US Narrative Short
  • Dumbo Film Festival
    New york, NY
    United States
    October 6, 2021
    Semi-Finalist - Short Narrative
  • South Asian Film Festival of America
    LA/NY
    United States
    December 3, 2021
    Official Selection - Short Film
  • Moody Crab Film Fest
    Punjab
    India
    October 26, 2021
    Winner - Best Women's Short
  • Worldwide Women's Film Festival
    Phoenix, AZ
    United States
    February 18, 2022
    Official Selection - Short Film
  • Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival 2022
    Mumbai
    India
    February 20, 2022
    Official Selection - BEST SHORT FILM
  • Ocean City Film Festival
    Maryland, DC
    United States
    March 3, 2022
    Official Selection - Dramatic Shorts
  • New York Tri-State International Film Festival
    New York, New York
    United States
    January 10, 2022
    Winner - Best Female Empowerment Film
  • Nicomedia International Film Awards
    İzmit, Kocaeli
    Turkey
    March 1, 2022
    Nominee - January-February '22
  • Oasis International Film Festival
    Jaisalmer, Rajasthan
    India
    February 28, 2022
    Winner - Best Short Film
  • Oasis International Film Festival
    Jaisalmer, Rjasthan
    India
    February 28, 2022
    Winner - Best Women's Film
  • New Wave Short Film Festival
    Munich
    Germany
    March 4, 2022
    Finalist - Women Empowerment
  • V.i.Z Film Fest
    Bulgaria
    Bulgaria
    September 5, 2022
    Official Selection - Best Short Drama and Best Short Film Director
  • V.i.Z Film Fest
    Bulgaria
    Bulgaria
    September 5, 2022
    Finalist - Best Short Drama and Best Short Film Director
  • V.i.Z Film Fest
    Bulgaria
    Bulgaria
    September 5, 2022
    Winner - Best Short Film Director
  • Cooper Awards
    Ukraine
    Ukraine
    December 10, 2022
    Official Selection - Best Drama Short Film and Best Director Short Film
  • Cosmic Film Festival
    Central Florida
    United States
    March 26, 2022
    Official Selection - Annual - Best Short Film
  • Beyond the Curve International Film Festival
    Paris
    France
    April 22, 2022
    Official Selection - Best Women's Film
  • Onyko Film Awards 2022
    Odesa
    Ukraine
    July 23, 2022
    Official Selection - Best Short Film
  • New York International Women Festival
    New York
    United States
    May 12, 2022
    Semi-Finalist - Best Short Film about Women
  • Female Filmmakers Fuse Festival
    Los Angeles, California
    United States
    November 11, 2022
    Official Selection
  • DC South Asian Film Festival
    Washington DC
    United States
    July 16, 2022
    Official Selection
  • Goa Short Film Festival 2022
    Goa
    India
    October 15, 2022
    Official Selection
  • A Night of Misfit Films Festival
    Phoenix, AZ
    United States
    November 25, 2022
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Manasi Patel

I'm a Writer, Director, Storyteller, Artist, Meditator, Timeline Jumper/Traveler, Space and Alien Lover, Clean Freak, Highly Organized, Strong-Willed, Problem Solver, Very Patient, Calm, Extremely Focused, and posses a superpower to turn anything negative into positive.

Fun facts about me - I have never ever had any caffeine in my life – no tea, no coffee, no soda, no alcohol either, I barely sleep, and I do not like hugging or being hugged (except for about 5-6 people who are my tribe).

On a more serious note - I was born and brought up in India, and have been in Los Angeles, CA for over 2 decades. I have always been fascinated with the magical world of story-telling and cinema. I believe that stories are blueprints of one’s life experiences in the form of language of - art, music, cinema, and imagination. Ever since I was a kid, I was very interested in listening to the life experiences of people around me and watching films from all around the world. Growing up in India, where parents mainly pushed their children to pursue a degree in engineering, medicine, or business, I am fortunate to have parents who gave me the freedom to choose, and live my dreams and passion regardless of societal pressures and norms.
I moved to Los Angeles at the age of 19, to pursue my education in film at Otis College of Art and Design. Right after I graduated, my short documentary film “Anuttara” was selected at various film festivals across the USA. Being an immigrant is not easy in this country with so many immigration laws that restrict you from moving further at a consistent pace. I was no exception and when the roadblock hit, I deviated a bit and went to India to work on a Bollywood film as a 1st AD, until my visa situation was sorted. Once my work visa was approved, I came back to LA and was hired on Avatar as an assistant to an assistant VFX Coordinator. I was hired for 5 weeks and I ended up working on the film all the way till the DVD release (for approx. 2 years). After Avatar, there was no looking back. I then worked as a VFX coordinator on other A-list films like Knight and Day, Life of Pi, The Darkest Hour, and Looper. Almost a decade later, I took a break from working to start a family, and after 2 kids and 7 years later, I decided to make a short film and also kept at my writing. The majority of my stories are female-centric and are all culturally diverse. One such short film is Taken for Granted.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

We often take a lot of things for granted in our lives – both, big and small. But it isn’t the same for many around the world. It’s amazing how sometimes a slight change in our way of perceiving things in life, can be so powerful. Hope, Strength, Compassion, and Gratitude is always the answer.
This film is a small depiction of all of the above. It is a direct reflection of the current situation in Afghanistan where the Taliban has taken over the country and is a peek into the true horror that is in the face of the Afghans, especially their Women/Girls. While we’re privileged to live a peaceful life, these women/girls are fighting for their basic rights to education and living life freely the way they want to.
This story is inspired by the Afghanistan Girls Robotic Team that made it to the First Global International STEM Competition, held in Washington DC in 2017.
The majority of the crew on this film are females and we have tried our best to show you a different perspective on how many things we take for granted, versus someone who lives halfway across the world. Here’s presenting you "Taken for Granted".

With a lot of Gratitude.