SHORT BIO OF THE DIRECTOR:
Alia Ghafar is a Writer/Director from Glasgow.
In 2023 she was selected for the BFIxBMW Filmmaking Challenge with her micro-comedy short HEN DO and was mentored by Michaela Coel. The film premiered at BFI London Film Festival 2023 and was available to watch on BFI Player. HEN DO has been nominated for Best Short Form at the RTS Scotland Awards 2024.
Alia is an alumni of the BFI NETWORK x BAFTA Crew Mentorship Scheme, NETWORK@LFF and EIFF Talent Lab.
Her first short, SALT & SAUCE, premiered at LFF in 2017, going on to screen at multiple BAFTA-qualifying festivals. The film was also broadcast on BBC Scotland/BBC iPlayer.
In 2020, Alia completed her second short SCUZZ, commissioned by BFI Network/Screen Scotland. Festival selections include EIFF, GSFF, Liverpool Film Festival, Manchester Film Festival and British Shorts Berlin. The film won the Best Director Award at Women X Festival 2022.
Alia was commissioned by BBC The Social to write ALONE, a short drama released online in July 2022, which was nominated for Best Drama and Best Writer at the RTS Scotland Awards. Currently, she is developing projects for both film and television.
DIRECTOR’S FILMOGRAPHY:
Hen Do – Writer/Director (2023)
Scuzz – Writer/Director (2020)
Salt & Sauce – Writer/Director (2017)
- Was there a particular event or time that you recognized that filmmaking is your way of telling stories?
When I was young I loved acting and went to a drama class where we practiced a bit of filmmaking –
once I dabbled in being behind the camera, doing some writing and directing, I was hooked! For me film is the most exciting medium to tell stories and connect with an audience. - Do you think it is essential to go to a film institute in order to become a successful filmmaker?
Not at all – but finding a network of other keen filmmakers and collaborators is key. Once you have other people around you that are hungry to make films and can work on projects with, it feels so much more achievable. - Is it harder to get started or to keep going? What was the particular thing that you had to conquer to do either?
Staying motivated and keeping going is tough. I’m finding especially making the step from shorts to
longer-form work, features and TV, can take a lot of patience and perseverance. But any time spent on writing scripts that aren’t made, getting knockbacks, meetings that don’t quite go anywhere and working your day job to pay the bills – I like to think you are growing as a person AND as a filmmaker throughout. Life is still happening! - What was the most important lesson you had to learn that has had a positive effect on your film? How did that lesson happen?
The mantra I like to tell people which calms me down is: you can’t make the film until you’re making the film. Pre-production is key, put the work and effort in, but once you get to the shoot that’s when you really do your job as a director. That’s where the ‘making’ happens – so don’t worry yourself sick before it! Enjoy the process. - What were the production realities from casting through editing that you had to accommodate? How did you navigate those compromises or surprises and still end up with a cohesive film?
‘Hen Do’ was challenging in many ways creatively – having to tell a story in such a short time and working with the ultra-wide aspect ratio. Having a really strict brief made me really have to problem-solve. The shoot gave us classic Scottish weather – torrential rain – which was quite an issue for our 1 shot film in a muddy field, with four actors in high-heels! Thankfully in the end, we managed to get a few good takes in the bag and the cast and crew were troopers throughout. - What was the hardest artistic choice you made in the making of a film, at any stage in production?
Honestly – picking the outfits for the hens and bride! That’s because we had TOO many good options! - You are a collaborator. How have you discovered members of your team and how do you keep the relationship with them strong?
This film actually gave me the chance to work with lots of new collaborators – including the producer
Misha, who has been a friend for a while but we’d not had the chance to work together before. It was really exciting to work with such an enthusiastic crew and discover new amazing people working in Scotland. - What do audiences want? And is it the filmmaker’s role to worry about that?
I believe you can only make what YOU would enjoy watching, the stories you want to see on-screen — there will always be someone who resonates with it! - What role have film festivals played in your life so far? Why are they necessary? How do you get the most out of them?
Film festivals are key to my positive experiences in the industry – forging connections but most of all,
having a platform to share work. I make films that I hope people will emotionally connect with and so getting those audience reactions is so rewarding. - Do you believe that a filmmaker should be original and fresh or he/she should stick to classic but safe cinema style?
I don’t think there is ‘safe’ filmmaking necessarily – classics are classics for a reason. I do think that
people shouldn’t be scared to be playful with the form, though. ‘Hen Do’ gave me a chance to really do that and experimental with more stylistic elements than I have before – with the unique aspect ratio and filming a 1 shot. I do want to keep that playful approach going forward!
