Nuh Omar

Last updated
Nuh Omar
Nuh Omar SFWLA 2019.jpg
Nuh Omar in Beverly Hills in 2019
Born (1988-06-05) 5 June 1988 (age 35)
EducationBA, Science of Film
Alma mater Full Sail University
Occupation(s)Director, writer, producer, creator

Nuh Omar (born June 5, 1988) is a director and screenwriter, originally from Pakistan.

Contents

Background

Nuh was born in Karachi, Pakistan into the prominent Indian/Pakistani Kureishi family as the grandson of Sattoo Kureishi (MBE), older brother of Omar Kureishi. [1] Famous family members also include Hanif Kureishi, Maki Kureishi, Bilquis Nasrullah, Imran Kureishi, and Nusrat Nasrullah. [2] [1] He received his early educated at Karachi Grammar School, a classmate of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. [3] He has an older sister and a younger brother. His mother was Pakistan’s first female sports photojournalist. [4]

Education

Nuh decided to make films after seeing Jurassic Park when he was 5. [5] [6] He spent his earlier years writing short stories, and with a camera at his hip. Photography became his hobby. [7] [4] [1] He went to the New York Film Academy in 2006, where he participated and played a part in the creation of their first ever 2nd Year Film Program. He then went to Full Sail University where he received his bachelor's degree in The Science of Film, and was named Valedictorian. [2]

Career

After graduating from Full Sail, Nuh interned for Scott Gardenhour at The Institute. [8] He worked as a freelance assistant director, having worked on a number of award-winning shorts, as well as working behind the scenes as a documentarian. He wrote and produced the short film We're Americans, Eh?, which received the Audience Award and the award for Best Wardrobe in 2011 at the 24 Hour Film Festival.

In 2012, Nuh returned to Pakistan. In collaboration with Y Productions and producer Ayesha Jalil, he directed a series of short films for Engro Corporation Excellence Awards. His Engro film on the late renowned sculptor Shahid Sajjad, Mojiza-e-Fun (The Miracle of Art), was the final project to feature Sajjad before he passed away. [8] [9] [10]

He then did freelance work writing and directing a variety of internet-based projects, as well as ghostwriting commercials in the country. In mid-2012, he attached himself to now defunct DeVida Lifestyle, an entertainment channel, as an in-house & promo director.

In early-2013, Nuh was hired by advertising agency IAL Saatchi & Saatchi, where he worked as a creative and ad man under COO Imtisal Abbasi and ECD Rashna Abdi on Procter & Gamble brands. He worked on a number of global projects and brands, including Head & Shoulders, Safeguard, Pampers and Commander Safeguard. [11] He parted with the company in early 2014 to return to filmmaking. [12]

In November 2015, he began directing and writing episodes for The Fortress of Dorkness, a YouTube resource channel for pop culture movies and comics created by producer and his long-time collaborator, Christian Villarreal. [13] As of 2018, The Fortress of Dorkness has produced over 100 episodes, all written and directed by Nuh. The channel went on hiatus in 2019, with more intended content to be announced in the future. [12]

In 2019, Nuh teamed up with writer Mark Davis to produce The Alexandrian (known then simply as Cleopatra), an episodic historical drama about the dynasty of the infamous ruler of Egypt, Cleopatra, and work on the project is underway. [10] [12]

In 2014, Nuh began writing a modern adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s The Happy Prince. The screenplay, named The Porter & The Stone, has won numerous awards, including Best Short at Screencraft’s Public Domain Competition 2021, and finalist at The Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition 2022. As of early 2022, it was ranked the number one in the categories of Family and Family-Short on Coverfly’s aggregated ranking system, was in the Top 1% of all projects on Coverfly, and was featured on the Coverfly Red List. [6] [10]

His TV pilot screenplay, A Matter of Time, co-written with Christian Villarreal, won the grand prize at Filmmatic’s TV Pilot Awards Season 6 as Best TV Pilot, [7] along with numerous other accolades, and is currently being shopped around. [10]

Also in development is I'm Here, a TV series about his own journey in the American heartland told through the eyes of a tabloid journalist that interviews cryptids and creatures of folklore, which he initially began developing as a student in 2007. [2] In 2015, Nuh attempted to turn the series into a comic book, but by 2020 decided to return to its intended television roots. [11] The pilot’s screenplay has been a selection at numerous festivals and competitions. [10]

Nuh is currently working with production company Rustic Lightbulb, and producer Severn Lang, to develop the short The Universe at Midnight and the feature Tijuana Bible, which he will write and direct. The Universe at Midnight is expected to go into production in 2022. [14]

He is also writing two feature films, The Imaginary Friend Society, a family film about imaginary friends, and Ophelia, a story about a man chosen to become the next form of death, and his relationship with a Djinn named Ophelia. [7] [1]

Personal life

Nuh lives and works in Karachi, Pakistan and Los Angeles, CA. He has been openly vocal about his struggles with depression, and is an advocate for mental health awareness. [3]

He is a self proclaimed “old world nerd”, and is a fan of comic books and 80’s properties, his favorites being Transformers and Masters of the Universe. One of his hobbies is collecting action figures. He has several tattoos, including his mother’s name in Urdu, and the Arashikage Clan’s i-Ching symbol from the series G.I. Joe. [9]

He has said his favorite genre is Magical Realism. [7]

Accolades

ProjectAccoladePresenter
The Porter and The StoneWinner - Best ShortScreencraft True Story & Public Domain Competition 2021
FinalistAtlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition 2022
Hollyshorts Screenwriting Competition 2021
Outstanding Screenplays Shorts Competition 2021
SemifinalistBig Apple Film Festival Screenplay Competition Fall 2021
Filmmatic Short Screenplay Awards Season 6 2021
SF Indie Film Fest – San Francisco IndieFest Screenplay Competition 2022
Top 1% Genre/ FormatCoverfly Red List
A Matter of TimeWinnerFilmmatic TV Pilot Awards Season 6 2021
SemifinalistBig Apple Film Festival Screenplay Competition Spring 2021
Filmmatic Drama Screenplay Awards Season 6 2021
Filmmatic Pitch Now Screenplay Competition Season 4
So Cal Screenplay Competition: The Southern California Screenplay Competition 2021
QuarterfinalistSWN TV Pilot Screenplay Competition 2021
I'm HereSemifinalistSo Cal Screenplay Competition – The Southern California Screenplay Competition 2021
QuarterfinalistScreencraft TV Pilot Script Competition 2022
Outstanding Screenplays TV Pilot Competition 2021
SWN TV Pilot Screenplay Competition 2021
We're Americans, Eh?Audience Award24 Hour Film Festival 2011
Best Wardrobe24 Hour Film Festival 2011

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evan Dorkin</span> American comics artist

Evan Dorkin is an American comics artist and cartoonist. His best known works are the comic books Milk and Cheese and Dork, the latter of which features his comic Eltingville. His comics often poke fun at fandom, even while making it clear that Dorkin is a fan himself. Dorkin also served as a writer on the Adult Swim animated series Space Ghost Coast to Coast from 1994 to 1999, and created a pilot for an animated adaptation of Eltingville for Adult Swim in 2002.

Kaleem Omar (KO) (1937 – 25 June 2009) was a Pakistani journalist, and an English language poet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Darabont</span> American filmmaker

Frank Árpád Darabont is an American screenwriter, director and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. In his early career, he was primarily a screenwriter for such horror films as A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), The Blob (1988) and The Fly II (1989). As a director, he is known for his film adaptations of Stephen King novellas and novels, such as The Shawshank Redemption (1994), The Green Mile (1999), and The Mist (2007).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hanif Kureishi</span> English writer (born 1954)

Hanif Kureishi is a British Pakistani playwright, screenwriter, filmmaker, and novelist. He is known for his novels My Beautiful Laundrette and The Buddha of Suburbia.

<i>My Beautiful Laundrette</i> 1985 British film by Stephen Frears

My Beautiful Laundrette is a 1985 British romantic comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Frears from a screenplay by Hanif Kureishi. The film was one of the first films released by Working Title Films. The film is set in London during the Thatcher years, as reflected in the complex, and often comical, relationships between members of the Pakistani and English communities. The story focuses on Omar, a young Pakistani man living in London, and his reunion and eventual romance with his childhood friend Johnny, now a street punk. The two become the caretakers and business managers of a launderette originally owned by Omar's uncle Nasser.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ahmed Ali (writer)</span> Indian writer and diplomat (1910–1994)

Ahmed Ali was a Pakistani novelist, poet, critic, translator, diplomat and scholar. A pioneer of the modern Urdu short story, his works include the short story collections: Angarey (Embers), 1932; Hamari Gali, 1940; Qaid Khana, 1942; and Maut Se Pehle, 1945. His other writings include Twilight in Delhi (1940), his first novel in the English language.

Omar Kureishi was a Pakistani writer. He had also worked in the advertising, aviation and journalism industry, writing for Dawn, The Pakistan Times, Morning News and The Guardian, London. He is best known for his cricket writings and commentary but he was also a keen observer of political and social developments and wrote about them, in his own words, not with fury, but certainly with "exasperation and anger".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kara Film Festival</span> Annual film festival in Karachi, Pakistan

The Karachi International Film Festival, simply known as the Kara Film Festival was an annual film festival held in Karachi, Pakistan from 2001 until 2009. The festival reportedly started in response to the declining state of the Pakistani film industry. The 10th Kara Film Festival was intended to be held in 2010 but has since been delayed every year due to social issues in Karachi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sajjad Ali</span> Pakistani Classical singer

Sajjad Ali is a Pakistani semi-classical, pop and rock singer, poet, actor, film director as well as a film producer from Karachi, Pakistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture</span> Architecture school in Karachi, Pakistan

Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture is a not-for-profit degree awarding institution in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. The university was established in 1989, thereby empowering it to award its own degrees and was the fourth private institution of higher learning in Pakistan to be given a university status. As of 2008, IVS was the third highest ranking art and design university in Pakistan.

Mushtaq Gazdar was a Pakistani cinematographer, who scripted, directed and produced around 190 short feature films, documentary films and newsreels on subjects including poverty-stricken women, especially those abused, bought and sold in open flesh markets as well as helpless children.

The publishing industry in Pakistan is hampered both by a low literacy rate (65%).

Fred Dekker is an American screenwriter and film director best known for his cult classic horror comedy films Night of the Creeps and The Monster Squad. He contributed the story ideas for House (1986) and Ricochet (1991), and also directed and co-wrote RoboCop 3 with Frank Miller.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ayesha Omar</span> Pakistani actor, singer and model

Ayesha Omar is a Pakistani actress and YouTuber. Considered a style icon in her home country, Omar is one of the most popular and highest-paid actresses in Pakistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Institute of Business Administration, Karachi</span> Business school in Sindh, Pakistan

The Institute of Business Administration(IBA), Karachi; is a public university in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asad Umar</span> Pakistani politician and former business executive

Asad Umar is a Former Pakistani politician who had been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from September 2013 till May 2018 and again from August 2018 to January 2023. He served as the Federal Minister for Planning, Development, Reforms and Special Initiatives, from 19 November 2019 to 10 April 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hussain Dawood</span> Pakistani businessman, educationalist and philanthropist

Hussain Dawood is a Pakistani businessman. He is the chairman of two publicly listed companies in Pakistan: the Dawood Hercules Corporation and Engro Corporation.

Bassam Tariq is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter born in Karachi, Pakistan. He co-directed and produced the Sundance-funded documentary These Birds Walk (2013) with Omar Mullick, and he was named in Filmmaker's "25 New Faces of Independent Film" in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masroor Anwar</span> Pakistani poet (1944 - 1996)

Masroor Anwar was a ghazal poet, film song lyricist and a film screenwriter. He wrote the lyrics for 'Ko Ko Korina', South Asia's first pop song, and working alongside Sohail Rana, film director Pervez Malik and film producer and actor Waheed Murad in the 1960s, was part of the country's golden age of cinema helping establish Karachi as a major hub for film production.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 The Aesthetics of Filmmaking with Nuh Omar, MAG The Weekly, June 2021
  2. 1 2 3 'The Storyteller', Pakistan, She Magazine, November 2014, Pg 128
  3. 1 2 'Geo News: Mental Health & Filmmaking: Interview with Nuh Omar', Pakistan, Geo News, June 2021
  4. 1 2 "Meet Director, Writer, Filmmaker: Nuh Omar". voyagela.com. 2016-09-13.
  5. 'Tete-a-Tete with Nuh & Musa', Pakistan, Women's Own Magazine, July 2012, Pg 136
  6. 1 2 One on One with Nuh Omar, Spotlight Pakistan, October 2021
  7. 1 2 3 4 Filmmatic: Nuh Omar & Christian Villarreal, "A Matter of Time" 'Nuh Omar & Christian Villarreal, A Matter of Time', Filmmatic.com, December 2021
  8. 1 2 'Cult Classic', Pakistan, Page 3 Magazine US & Canada Edition, November 2014, Pg 92
  9. 1 2 20 Questions with Nuh Omar, Pakistan, You - The News, June 2021
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 THE UNCONVENTIONAL YET MAGICAL ROAD TO FILMMAKING! NUH OMAR, Social Diary Weekly, The Observer Magazine, October 2021
  11. 1 2 "Urban Legends, Classic American Values And Other 'Mysteries Of Hidden And Forgotten America' Are Uncovered In Upcoming 'I'm Here' Comic Book Series". 24-7pressrelease.com. 2014-12-18.
  12. 1 2 3 Introducing Nuh Omar Instep Today, The News International Newspaper, 2019-12-27
  13. "Film Comic Culture YouTube Channel 'The Fortress of Dorkness' Goes Live!". Onlineprnews.com. 2015-11-16.
  14. Rustic Lightbulb Projects, Rustic Lightbulb, 2022