24 January 2009

PRESS RELEASE

Kaboora Production’s Afghan Star wins two awards at Sundance Afghan Star, a documentary co-produced by Afghanistan’s Kaboora Productions and the UK’s Roast Beef Film has nabbed two major awards at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival in the US:

• Ms. Havana Marking was awarded Best Director for a Documentary (the World Cinema Directing Award).

• Afghan Star was presented with the People’s Choice Award (the World Cinema Audience Award for a Documentary). AFGHAN STAR (Director Havana Marking) tells the story of a local Afghan Pop Idol TV series in which people from across the country compete for a cash prize and record deal.

2000 people audition, including three brave young women. The viewers vote for their favorite singers by text message and for many this is their first encounter with democracy. This timely film follows the dramatic stories of four young contestants as they compete but it takes a terrifying turn as one young woman dances on stage, threatening her own safety and the future of the show itself.

In Afghanistan you risk your life to sing.

About Kaboora

KABOORA is the award nominated and largest television production house in Afghanistan. KABOORA works with a range of local and international producers, creative directors, cinematographers, scriptwriters , designers, camerapeople, actors and composers to produce high quality and innovative content for a range of private, government and NGO clients.

Projects include high profileprograms for TOLO TV, LEMAR and ARMAN FM including Afghan Star, Laugh Bazaar and Dream & Achieve; events such as the Agricultural Festival which attracts over 100,000+ people; educational and interactive live shows including Meena; as well as the award winning Afghan serial, Raz hae een khana (‘Secrets of this house’), Afghanistan’s first ever Afghan serial.

http://www.kaboora.com/

Afghanistan’s landmark drama series, Raz hae een Khana, "The secrets of this house”, has taken the Special Award at the Seoul Drama Awards.

Screened on TOLO TV, the nation’s most popular TV station, and produced by Kaboora Production, Raz hae een Khana is the first drama series ever entirely written, acted, filmed, produced and broadcast by Afghans, for Afghans in Afghanistan. It was selected for a Special Prize amongst 152 entries from 33 countries around the world.