ARIFA reaches a crisis as her escalating feelings for an evasive stranger coincide with the return of her estranged father.
We’re excited to introduce you to our film ARIFA. We’re here to seek your help in getting over the final hurdle of post-production for the film!
ARIFA is a feature length film; a dark comedy-drama, that follows the story of Arifa a British-Pakistani woman who reaches a crisis in her life when the escalation of her feelings for intriguing but evasive ‘professional gamer’ Riccardo, coincides with the reappearance of her estranged father, Hameed.
WHERE DID THE STORY COME FROM?
It comes from personal (at times cross-cultural) experiences… and imagination!
“Its a story about the pressure to conform, the sadness and anger one feels at life…and the absurdity of it all”
HOW DID WE GET THIS FAR?
Over the last 4 years we’ve put our time and our funds into getting the film to this stage. Because we feel passionately that this is a film that should be made and there is an audience out there for this story.
WHAT’S THE PLAN NEXT?
We are launching this campaign as we need help to pay for completion of the film (further details follow below regarding what the funds will go towards). This is absolutely the MINIMUM amount required to complete the film.
This allows us to put our best face forward when showing the film to festivals and distributors!
SECURITY OF PAYMENT
Kickstarter have partnered with Stripe to help make launching and backing projects easier. Stripe meets and exceeds the most stringent industry standards for security. You can learn more about the technical details of Stripe’s secure infrastructure here.
WHERE WILL THE MONEY GO?
We shot the film in London (and Bexhill) in late 2015. While we’ve managed this far we need help to pay for post-production.
Funds raised will go towards paying for:
REWARDS
To show our gratitutde, we are offering rewards for pledges! You can see these on the right side of this page. There are many different types of rewards and you can select what suits you! –>
FUNDRAISING ON KICKSTARTER
The way Kickstarter works is we need to raise the FULL amount. Your card will only be charged if we reach our goal. If we fail to reach our goal we will not receive any funds and your card will not be charged.
So to help us succeed in our campaign please join us in our effort to reach the funding goal and share it with your friends, family, fans to spread the word.
Also, become a subscriber on social media and help us spread the word!
www.facebook.com/arifamovieofficial
SADIA SAEED (Writer & Director)
Born in Pakistan, Sadia left to live in Australia with her family when she was six. While studying for her Bachelor’s Degree at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Sadia began to write and produce films. In 2007, Sadia produced and edited a documentary film for The Urdu Society’s Mushaira, an annual Urdu poetry recital held in Sydney which featured the work of acclaimed Pakistani poet Ahmed Faraz among other Urdu poets from around the world. Sadia’s next short film Inheritance which she wrote, directed and edited was commissioned byInformation & Cultural Exchange (ICE), an arts organisation in Sydney that works in the areas of cultural development. The film was produced by award-winning filmmaker Amin Palangi. Sadia’s most recent short film produced in London is the 18 minute long Aleeza and Harriet which is currently being submitted to festivals and has been accepted for distribution by leading short film distribution company Shorts International. Sadia’s comedy play The Deported was selected for performance by Kali Theatre Company and was performed at the Tristan Bates Theatre in London in January 2016.
…I love films with a subversive humour (or humor!) that challenge and broaden the mind. Having grown up with Indian cinema, music for me is a crucial element of film!
http://arifamovie.com/about-us/sadia-saeed
PETER LESLIE (Producer)
Peter Leslie is an experienced writer, producer, director who has managed his own companies for the past 37 years. A graduate of the Regent Street Polytechnic (now the University of Westminster), in 1969, he joined a London-based independent film company as a film editor. He worked primarily on documentaries for cinema and television. In 1975 he became a partner in a TV commercials’ editing company based in Soho, London and formed a production company, Leslie Gough Associates. In 1977 Peter formed his own companies, Peter Leslie Post Productions Limited and 88 Film Productions Limited. For a period of around 15 years these companies were involved in Post production which included TV documentaries, such as a programme for Channel 4 on the history of Jaguar cars and theatrically distributed shorts, such as the award-winning “Skywatch” about NATO’s airborne surveillance force. He edited the short film drama, John, Love, produced by the NFTS. It became the first NFTS film to be nominated for a BAFTA award. The famed Hollywood film director, Fred Zinneman, saw John, Love and described it as “poetry on the screen”.Through his production company, Peter scripted, produced and directed over fifty commercials for TV advertising.
SHERMIN HASSAN (“Arifa”)
After completing her Foundation degree in Acting at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts in 2010, Shermin gained a scholarship on the BA Acting course at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in 2012, where she studied for three years. Whilst at Mountview she gained valuable tools, got to work with some notable directors and acted in some brilliant plays such as two premier performances; What’s Eating Gilbert Grape by Peter Hedges and Karagula by Philip Ridley. Shermin had been offered representation by Global Artists following on from her showcase at the Criterion Theatre. Since leaving Mountview in June 2015 Shermin will be making her debut film appearance in independent feature film Arifa, playing the role of Arifa.
LUCA PUSCEDDU (“Ric”)
Luca has appeared in over 50 theatre, film and television productions. His most recent work is for the featured recurring role of “Inspector Pedrotti” in NBC’s Crossing Lines, as well as ‘Leo’ in Simon Baker’s debut feature “Night Bus” (BIFF Best Feature Award 2015 & BFI London Film Festival 2015 Official Selection).
His short movie, The Referee in which he played the title character has won him two Best Actor awards, the 2010 Italian Academy Award for Best Short, and over 25 Best Short awards around the world, including Clermont-Ferrand and Los Angeles Film Festival.
JEFF MIRZA (“Hameed”)
After winning the Hackney Empire East West Quest in 1993, Jeff launched a career in stand-up comedy and hasn’t looked back since. He has written pieces for magazines and is well known on the London comedy circuit. In 1995, he was a finalist in the BBC Open Mic Award for The Stand up Show at the Edinburgh festival. .
Mirza’s film credits include Bend It Like Beckham, Tomb Raider, It Was an Accident and Desi Boyz.
His television appearances include White Teeth, Chuckle Vision, Murder in Mind and Doctors.
TARU DEVANI (“Farida”)
Taru most recently appeared in Song for Marion, a film about an elderly choir featuring and all-star cast of Terence Stamp, Vanessa Redgrave, Gemma Arterton and Christopher Ecclestone.
“Acting and singing has been in my blood since I was very little and when I was growing up in Uganda I started doing things at school in acting and dressing up and shows.”
Here’s an interview with Taru where she talks about her career in film:http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/whats-on/arts/taru-devani-tells-how-follow-5969788
SHAZIA MIRZA (“Shabana”)
About a year into her stand-up comedy career, Shazia gained UK-wide publicity in the months when the world was coming to terms with the September 11, 2001 attacks. This was because at this time she would begin with the deadpan remark, “My name is Shazia Mirza. At least, that’s what it says on my pilot’s licence”. In April 2007, she presented a documentary on BBC Three called F*** Off, I’m a Hairy Woman. She has since performed stand up comedy on many TV shows around the world including USA, Canada, Holland, Paris, UK
SUPPORTING CAST
Rez Kempton, Nimisha Odedra, Zehra Naqvi, Tina Gray;
George Camiller, Brett Fancy, Athene Parker, Lenox Kambaba;
Jon-Scott Clarke, Byron J Brochmann, Paul Collin-Thomas, Caro Breton, Sian Francis, Joelle Koissi, Ronja Darms, Celso Decarvalho, Bernardo Santos, Silvia Crastan, Jason Newell & Laila Khalid.
MIKE LINDUP
Mike Lindup began a staggeringly successful professional career as founder and keyboard player in platinum pop band Level 42, which continues to this day. He also has a successful solo career, and enjoys supporting a variety of super-talented artists including Dominic Miller, Phil Gould, and Zeep (Da Lata).
Born in London to musical parents, Michael started composing at age 3, and took piano lessons from age 6. He was influenced by a wide variety of music all around him in the family household from Menuhin to Miles Davis, Bartok through the Beatles to Bossa. At Chethams School of Music he studied piano, percussion and composition, and sang in senior and chamber choirs, then graduated to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. There his musical experience spread to include playing orchestral percussion in concert at the Royal Festival and Albert Halls, drums and keyboards in jazz ensembles and participating in pop workshops.
In 1990 Mike released his first solo album Changes, a song album featuring his great friend Dominic Miller on guitar, Pino Palladino on bass and Manu Katche on drums.
In 1994 Level 42 took a break and Mike used the opportunity to diversify musically exploring different styles of music echoing his breadth of tastes and influences.
In 2006 Mike rejoined Mark King touring and recording with Level 42 again, and promoting the then new album Retroglide.
GIUSEPPE PIGNONE (Cinematographer)
The cinematic images captured in Arifa are courtesy of cinematographer Giuseppe Pignone. Giuseppe was born in Vicenza, Italy where he developed an intense and overwhelming passion for photography. His professional desires took him to Rome where he studied cinematography at the famed Cinecittà studios. After finishing his studies, Giuseppe worked as director of photography with director Domiziano Cristopharo on the feature films MUSEUM OF WONDERSand BLOODY SIN. In 2011 he collaborated with American director Frank LaLoggia on his new musical comedy MIRO/MIRANDA! Giuseppe’s career as director of photography continues, with commercials and short films, among which L’APPUNTAMENTO (The Meeting) directed by Gianpiero Alicchio, winner of the Italian Golden Globe for Best Short Film in 2013. In the following years, he filmed FUORI DAL CORO, a black comedy set in Palermo and Rome, by director Sergio Misuraca, LA NOTTE è PICCOLA PER NOI by director Gianfrancesco Lazotti produced by Elda Ferri in collaboration with Rai Cinema and BEHIND THE WHITE GLASSESby director Valerio Ruiz, a docufilm about the life of Lina Wertmuller which was in competition at the 72nd Venice Film Festival.
In 2015 Giuseppe embarked on his first English feature ARIFA with director Sadia Saeed.
http://www.giuseppepignone.com/
MATT PRICE (Sound Recordist)
Matt’s credits include 20+ Feature Films (including 1 Official Oscar Selection 2016), 130+ Short Films/Documentaries, 150+ Creative Content/Commercials.
ART DIRECTION: Jeff Schell
WARDROBE: Jenny Anderton
MAKE-UP: Gloria Peñaranda
….are some of the names of our talented crew.
If you are interested in acquiring equity in the film, please visit our website or contact us at:
info@arifamovie.com
We are in an exciting place with this film where your support could help us over the finish line.
Finishing the film does not automatically mean the film will be accepted at film festivals or that it will gain distribution.
But what it does is allows us to put our best face forward when showing the film to festivals and distributors!