Afghan
Written, Directed and Produced by
Pardis Parker
Copyright 2008
Flying Dish Productions
An afternoon surprise forces two friends to make the best of a bad situation.
Afghan is an award-winning short film about hate crimes, humour and friendship, starring Pardis Parker (Halifax Comedy Festival) and Mark Little (Picnicface).
Awards and Distinctions
2013 Gimli Film Festival
Curated Screening – Best of the NSI Film Festival
2012 Next Wave Art Salon
Time Arts Award
2011 Creative Arts Film Festival
Winner: Best Short Film
Winner: Paul St. Amand – Best Editing
Winner: Zan Rosborough – Best Sound Design
Winner: Mathieu Benoit – Best Original Score
Nominee: Pardis Parker – Best Director
Nominee: Alastair Meux – Best Cinematography
2011 Athens International Film Festival
3rd Prize
2011 World Music and Independent Film Festival
Nominee: Pardis Parker – Best Actor
Nominee: Pardis Parker – Best Screenplay
Nominee: Mark Little – Best Supporting Actor
2011 Imago Film Festival
1st Place
2011 Margaret River Shorts Film Festival
Finalist
2011 Big Dam Film Festival
People’s Choice Award
2011 Buttered Corn on the Cob Film Festival
Juror Pick
2010 Canadian Comedy Awards
Nominee: Pardis Parker – Best Writing, Film
Nominee: Pardis Parker – Best Performance by a Male, Film
2010 Screaming Ant Film Festival
Best Narrative Film
Featured Filmmaker Award
2010 Desiderata Film Festival
1st Place
2010 Atlanta Philosophy Film Festival
Audience Choice Award
2010 Twin Rivers Media Festival
Award of Excellence
2010 Moondance International Film Festival
Atlantis Award
2010 Films in Bloom
Audience Award – Silver
2009 ViewFinders International Film Festival
Best Short Film
2009 Just For Laughs Film Festival
Best of Just For Laughs
2009 Calgary International Film Festival
Curated Screening – Best of Just For Laughs
2009 CBC Short Film Face-Off
Finalist
2008 Atlantic Film Festival
CBC Atlantic Shorts Gala
Official Selection
2012 Culture Days Manitoba Pop Up Film Festival
2012 South Texas Underground Film Festival
2012 Island Media Arts Festival
2012 Crossroads Film Festival
2012 ReelWorld Film Festival
2012 Jubilee Film Festival
2011 CNS Diversity Film Festival
2011 Washington West Film Festival
2011 Ventura Film Festival
2011 Anthem Film Festival
2011 Petaluma Film Festival
2011 Riverside International Film Festival
2011 Davis Film Festival
2011 Indie Spirit Film Festival
2011 Sene Film Festival
2011 Tallahassee Film Festival
2011 Detroit Independent Film Festival
2011 Beloit International Film Festival
2011 Yellowknife International Film Festival
2011 Derby City Film Festival
2010 Miami Short Film Festival
2010 Canton Palace International Film Festival
2010 Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival
2010 Montgomery Film Festival
2010 Huntsville International Film Festival
2010 Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival
2010 NSI Film Festival
2010 Grand Rapids Film Festival
2010 Glen Rose Neo·Relix Film Festival
2010 TriMedia Film Festival
2010 Estes Park Film Festival
2010 Southern Appalachian International Film Festival
2010 Hyart Film Festival
2010 Southern Winds Film Festival
2010 Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival
2010 Washougal International Film Festival
2010 Interrobang Film Festival
2010 Film Stories Festival
2010 Urban Suburban Film Festival
2010 Phoenix International Christian Film Festival
2009 Dawn Breakers International Film Festival
2009 PEI International Film Festival
2009 Hubbards Barn Summer Shorts Mini-Festival
Press
The Chronicle Herald – Pardis Parker’s film The Dance wins its 18th award (PDF)
BRKFREE – Would you like some love with that hate?
Bones Rodriguez – 3 things that don’t mix: An Arab, A Camera, and a Sense of Humor
Upworthy – Racists Spray-Paint A Comedian’s Car. They Shouldn’t Have Done That.
Davetopia – Voyeurs of Destruction as Beauty
KVLT Magazine – Film Pendek ‘Afghan’ Melawan Rasisme Dengan Pintar
Rugidos – Afghan by Pardis Parker
Project Dre LA – Go Home Arab!
Pop.Roc – Now Playing: Afghan
PCP Media – Great work deserves great Accolades
The Tasneem Project – Afghan
Islamophobia Today – Ugly Racist Act Inspires Beautiful Short Film
Loonwatch – Ugly Racist Act Inspires Beautiful Short Film
The Teradactyl – Welcome Home
Gawker – Ugly Racist Act Inspires Beautiful Short Film
Brilliant Star – Stargazer – Pardis Parker
The Annekenstein Monster – Rob’s 7-Word Reviews of some IMAF Short Films
Matinee – 5 Great short films you can watch in the next hour
The Local Q – YP Quincy’s Big Dam Film Festival
Short Cuts Podcast – Episode 11: Pardis Parker
The Coast – Best Halifax Ambassador
East Coast Kitchen Party – Pardis Parker – A Rising Star from the Halifax Indie Film Scene
Monterey County Weekly – Pardis Parker’s ‘The Dance’ is a Short Film with Wide Appeal
Nova Scotia | Come to Life – Featured Nova Scotian – Pardis Parker
The Coast – Diversity Film Festival to happen this week
The Chronicle Herald – Filmmaker Parker ready to Dance at film fest Sunday (PDF)
The Chronicle Herald – N.S. takes centre stage at TIFF (PDF)
The Coast – TIFF to highlight Nova Scotia talent
Bite.ca – Pardis Parker Is Judges Choice For Stand Up & Bite Me Round 3
Glen Matthews – Two Men, Two Cows, Two Guns
The Coast – Pardis Parker’s busy life
The Chronicle Herald – Multi-talented filmmaker readying his next short (PDF)
The Coast – Hey Rosetta!’s The Year You Were Born video gets into NSI Online Short Film Fest
CinemaSinema – Tallahassee Film Festival – Friday
The Coast – Pardis Parker scores again with Afghan and Two Men, Two Cows, Two Guns
The Davis Enterprise – Davis Film Festival features another side of Speck
The Courier-News – Oscar nominee is tops locally
The Coast – Jackson, Bankson, Parker nab nods
The Local Q – An interview with Pardis Parker
The Chronicle Herald – 2010 – The Honour Roll (PDF)
Louisville.com – Selections Made for Derby City Film Festival
Bowling Green Daily News – The Derby City Film Festival Announces Selections For The 2011 Festival held in February
Vimooz – 2011 Derby City Film Festival Announces Selections
The Unstoppable Colossus – Interview: Comedian Pardis Parker
Canadian Immigrant Magazine – Top Comic
The Coast – Pardis Parker on Implants and awards
The Chronicle Herald – Halifax film wins awards at U.S. fest (PDF)
MSN News – Halifax film earns 3 awards at U.S. fest
CBC News – Halifax film earns 3 awards at U.S. fest
Sympatico.ca News – Halifax film earns 3 awards at U.S. fest
Midtown Montgomery Living – Montgomery Film Festival
A Heart in New York – Review: Montgomery Film Festival 2: This time its personal.
Faces Magazine – Pardis Parker (PDF)
The Chronicle Herald – Parker up for four comedy awards (PDF)
CBC.ca – Less Than Kind leads comedy nominees
TheComedyNetwork.ca – 2010 Canadian Comedy Awards Nominees Announced
Canadian Comedy Awards – Nominees
The Coast – Pardis Parker’s Afghan scores another award
The Coast – Pardis Parker fights real pain with really good comedy
The Chronicle Herald – Laughing Matters (PDF)
Metro News – Local funnyman first Canadian picked for CBS showcase
The Chronicle Herald – N.S. comedian wins spot in CBS showcase (PDF)
Canadian Immigrant Magazine – Humour versus hatred – Sri Lankan immigrant creates films that express different cultural experiences
CBC Radio – In the Arts – Interview (RealAudio)
Southender Magazine – Viewfinders International Film Festival for Youth (PDF)
ViewFinders – ViewFinders: International Film Festival for Youth Screens Largest Ever Number of Youth-Made Films to Date
The Coast – CBC TV’s Short Film Face-off follies
July 3rd, 2010 at 7:19 pm
As an Indian-American that has had hate mail sent to me and things thrown through my window after 9-11, I have to say that this is an oddly hilarious and touching short film. Thank you Pardis, for making me both cry and laugh in 11 minutes and 39 seconds. You are amazing and inspirational.
July 25th, 2010 at 10:17 pm
[...] “Afghan” – The high expectations set by “La Barba Brutta” were exceeded by the next short, a 11:40 long piece from Canadian Pardis Parker about xenophobia, optimism and the beautiful power of creativity and cinema. Simultaneously hilarious and poignant, this short piece managed to contain great acting and a powerful message about the universe of possible responses to fear-driven aggression. It was both a timely comment on the hateful political climate of intolerance in which we exist, but also a timeless meditation on the transformative power of art. Grade: A-plus. [...]
August 7th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
Pardis,
The acting, screenplay, script and music were all top notch!
I was laughed and … almost cried. I LOVE it when your roommate comes out wearing the hijab and klan outfit holding a pie, such a wonderfully comedic scene in the midst of intense prejudice.
i cant wait to see more!
much respect…. i am deeply moved and very inspired.
karim
August 17th, 2010 at 3:06 pm
[...] Washougal International Film Festival 2010 Interrobang Film Festival 2010 Films in Bloom Read more: Pardis Parker » Afghan [...]
September 13th, 2010 at 11:53 pm
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October 8th, 2010 at 1:13 pm
I saw your amazing film last night at the Atlanta Philosophy Film Festival. It was easily the best film of the evening. I truly hope that you’ve never actually encountered such a situation, but I love that the character you played handled the situation with poise and humor.
The ability to find humor amid situations such as the one presented in the film is a gift, and I’m glad you are choosing to share your gift with the world.
December 3rd, 2010 at 5:38 pm
[...] How much of your award-winning 2008 short film Afghan is based on personal [...]
February 21st, 2011 at 2:19 pm
I caught this (along with “Implants”) at the Big Dam Film festival in Quincy, IL this weekend. I seriously laughed out loud, and was nearly moved to tears at about the 9:45-9:50 point. Just…flawless execution of a moment of…grief? sorrow? I don’t really know the word, but well done.