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.
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Manasi PatelDirector
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Manasi PatelWriter
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Manasi PatelProducer
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Manasi PatelExecutive Producer
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Amelia RaeKey Cast"Āin"
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Mojan NourbakhshKey Cast"Āydāh"
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Sara GarthCinematography
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Ali ShahriariEditor
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Emily Kae MullerProduction Design
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Kirsten CareyMusic ComposersGuitar
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Mike KhouryMusic ComposersViola
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Mike ListMusic ComposersPercussion
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Project Type:Short
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Runtime:13 minutes 7 seconds
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Completion Date:May 13, 2021
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Production Budget:13,500 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:Persian
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Shooting Format:RED
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No
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Best Shorts Competition - June 2021La Jolla
United States
Award of Excellence: Film Short -
Best Shorts Competition - June 2021La Jolla
United States
Award of Excellence: Women Filmmakers -
Cosmic Film FestivalCentral Florida
United States
July 15, 2021
Finalist - Best Short Film -
World Film Carnival - SingaporeVictoria Street
Singapore
July 24, 2021
Outstanding Achievement Award - Women's Film -
Tagore International Film FestivalBirbhum, West Bengal
India
July 31, 2021
Outstanding Achievement Award - Women's Film -
Gangtok International Film FestivalGangtok, Sikkim
India
August 4, 2021
Outstanding Achievement Award - Best Short Film -
Tokyo International Film FestivalTokyo
Japan
August 1, 2021
Finalist - Best Short Film -
Druk International Film FestivalParo
Bhutan
August 20, 2021
Outstanding Achievement Award - Short Film -
Druk International Film FestivalParo
Bhutan
August 20, 2021
Outstanding Achievement Award - Women's Film -
Calcutta International Cult Film FestivalKolkata, West Bengal
India
August 18, 2021
Winner - Women's Films -
London Indie Shorts FestivalLondon
United Kingdom
September 17, 2021
Semi Finalist - Narrative International Shorts -
Detroit Trinity International Film FestivalDetroit, MI
United States
August 19, 2021
Official Selection - Short Film -
The Hollywood First-Time Filmmaker ShowcaseHollywood, CA
United States
September 12, 2021
Official Selection - All Film Categories -
Los Angeles Lift-Off Film FestivalHollywood, CA
United States
September 12, 2021
Official Selection - Short Live Action Narratives -
Silicon Beach Film FestivalLos Angeles, CA
United States
October 2, 2021
Official Selection -
Florida Shorts Film FestivalFlorida
United States
September 30, 2021
Semi-Finalist - US Narrative Short -
Dumbo Film FestivalNew york, NY
United States
October 6, 2021
Semi-Finalist - Short Narrative -
South Asian Film Festival of AmericaLA/NY
United States
December 3, 2021
Official Selection - Short Film -
Moody Crab Film FestPunjab
India
October 26, 2021
Winner - Best Women's Short -
Worldwide Women's Film FestivalPhoenix, AZ
United States
February 18, 2022
Official Selection - Short Film -
Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival 2022Mumbai
India
February 20, 2022
Official Selection - BEST SHORT FILM -
Ocean City Film FestivalMaryland, DC
United States
March 3, 2022
Official Selection - Dramatic Shorts -
New York Tri-State International Film FestivalNew York, New York
United States
January 10, 2022
Winner - Best Female Empowerment Film -
Nicomedia International Film Awardsİzmit, Kocaeli
Turkey
March 1, 2022
Nominee - January-February '22 -
Oasis International Film FestivalJaisalmer, Rajasthan
India
February 28, 2022
Winner - Best Short Film -
Oasis International Film FestivalJaisalmer, Rjasthan
India
February 28, 2022
Winner - Best Women's Film -
New Wave Short Film FestivalMunich
Germany
March 4, 2022
Finalist - Women Empowerment -
V.i.Z Film FestBulgaria
Bulgaria
September 5, 2022
Official Selection - Best Short Drama and Best Short Film Director -
V.i.Z Film FestBulgaria
Bulgaria
September 5, 2022
Finalist - Best Short Drama and Best Short Film Director -
V.i.Z Film FestBulgaria
Bulgaria
September 5, 2022
Winner - Best Short Film Director -
Cooper AwardsUkraine
Ukraine
December 10, 2022
Official Selection - Best Drama Short Film and Best Director Short Film -
Cosmic Film FestivalCentral Florida
United States
March 26, 2022
Official Selection - Annual - Best Short Film -
Beyond the Curve International Film FestivalParis
France
April 22, 2022
Official Selection - Best Women's Film -
Onyko Film Awards 2022Odesa
Ukraine
July 23, 2022
Official Selection - Best Short Film -
New York International Women FestivalNew York
United States
May 12, 2022
Semi-Finalist - Best Short Film about Women -
Female Filmmakers Fuse FestivalLos Angeles, California
United States
November 11, 2022
Official Selection -
DC South Asian Film FestivalWashington DC
United States
July 16, 2022
Official Selection -
Goa Short Film Festival 2022Goa
India
October 15, 2022
Official Selection -
A Night of Misfit Films FestivalPhoenix, AZ
United States
November 25, 2022
Official Selection
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.
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.