Private Project

The Paper Lantern

The Paper Lantern tells the story of former LAPD Officer, now Private Investigator Hank Gillian. Hank attempts to solve the very case that led to his demise with the LAPD.

  • Ahad Abid
    Director
  • Ahad Abid
    Writer
  • Kimberly Marcela Duron
    Writer
  • Kimberly Marcela Duron
    Producer
  • Demetrius Butler
    Key Cast
  • Mary Yang
    Key Cast
  • Miles Welling
    Key Cast
  • Cameron Denny
    Cinematographer
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Noir, Drama
  • Runtime:
    13 minutes 26 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 10, 2015
  • Production Budget:
    100 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Black & White
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes
Director Biography - Ahad Abid

Ahad Abid is a writer/director living in Hong Kong. Prior to returning to Hong Kong, Ahad spent five years working and studying in California. Ahad has been involved with several small student and short film projects as a director, writer, actor and producer. Ahad most recently co-wrote and directed the short film, The Paper Lantern. Ahad enjoys exploring several genres such as Horror and Film Noir but many of his films have the basis of drama.

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Director Statement

Due to my global perspective, I strive to incorporate diversity and originality within all of my films. I draw inspiration from storylines that defy and subvert genre tropes. This particular focus has largely influenced my conception of characters and their environments. Creating characters that stray away from stereotypes enables me to establish a fresh and interesting angle to my films. I find that this resonates well with an audience as it exposes them to new realities that they had never thought of before. In my opinion there is nothing worse than a film with a generic ending or a formulaic story. This leaves nothing to the imagination of the viewer as they see the ending coming, rendering the rest of the storyline moot and the audience underwhelmed. There is nothing quite like creating a story with twists and turns that keeps the audience engaged throughout and delivers a climax that is truly surprising and thought provoking.