Netflix to release Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s 'Sitara: Let Girls Dream'

Sitara: Let Girls Dream is the first Pakistani animated film to be released and distributed by Netflix USA.

Netflix, the world’s leading internet entertainment service, is all set to release Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s film in 2020 which will be available in over 190 countries.

Written and directed by two-time Academy and three-time Emmy Award-winning director Chinoy, the film takes the audience on a journey through the old city of Lahore, where Pari, a fourteen-year-old girl dreams of becoming a pilot and whose story is told through the perspective of her younger sister, Mehr.

It is a story about the burdens of a family and the impact of a culture where girls are still struggling to fully realize their dreams. Sitara is a silent film [no dialogues] that embodies this struggle.

“Waadi Animations is proud to have created an animated short that is at par with the best of the world and we are delighted that Sitara will be available to a global audience on Netflix,” said the filmmaker.

She added “We hope it will lead to thoughtful discussions as we also begin screening the film in schools and community centers around the world. We strongly believe investing in the dreams of young girls will lead to a more equitable world.”

The music for Sitara has been composed by Grammy and Emmy Award-Winning composer Laura Karpman. Financed and produced by VICE Studios, the film’s executive producers include Gloria Steinem, the iconic women’s rights activist, and Darla Anderson, the Academy Award-winning producer of Coco and Toy Story 3, VICE Media Group CEO Nancy Dubuc, Emmy-nominated Ariel Wengroff as well as Chinoy’s animation production company Waadi Animation with Imke Fehrmann as the producer for Sitara: Let Girls Dream.

In Pakistan, the Waadi Animations Team is spearheaded by Art Director Salman Nasir, Animation Director Kamran Khan, CG Lighting Supervisor Adnan Saeed, Director of Photography Faizan Ali, Editor Husain Qaizer, Sound Effects Editor Sameer Khan, co-producer Eleyna Sara Haroun and Associate Producer Syed Ayub with Mr. Salman Iqbal, Mr. Jerjees Seja, Imke Fehrmann and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy as the producers.

Chinoy had earlier launched a campaign with Gucci’s social impact initiative Chime for Change to #LetGirlsDream by encouraging girls around the world to share their dreams and gain inspiration from one another. A robust school outreach program is already underway across the world to encourage girls to hold meaningful conversations about their dreams and how to achieve them. The website for this campaign is www.LetGirlsDream.org

Indeed, Sitara: Let Girls Dream will join a growing slate of Netflix animated titles for families, which includes feature films Klaus from Sergio Pablos [November 2019] as well as The Willoughbys from Kris Pearn and Over The Moon from Glen Keane in 2020.

Waadi Animations was the first animation company in Pakistan to produce feature-length animation films, under the franchise name 3 Bahadur. To create a set of heroes that would resonate with Pakistani children and inspire them to create meaningful social change and become heroes within their communities, Sitara is the fourth animated film produced by Waadi Animations.

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