THE SCOTTISH-Iranian director of an Oscar-shortlisted film has been helping kids in Glasgow make their own films for Refugee Festival Scotland 2023.
Hassan Nazer directed the film Winners, which follows the story of a young boy and his friend who attempt to hunt down the owner of a precious statue in a small, provincial Iranian town.
Following the film being nominated for an Academy Award, Nazer offered his support to pupils in the Pollokshields area of Glasgow to edit and showcase their own films.
Pupils at Glendale Primary will be presented with their own Oscars before they watch Winners on Thursday evening.
READ MORE: Scottish Government to launch more independence white papers in summer
They are urging the community to come out and support them by coming to the screening at the school at 6.30pm.
Nazer said: "I didn’t know if arriving to UK by boat was a good idea back in 2001, and but being placed to Scotland as an asylum seeker was definitely the greatest. This is a land of stories, inspiration and opportunities where dreams are realised.’’
Tabassum Niamat, executive director of The Bowling Green Together, and her colleague Ged Fitzsimmons have been working with the pupils and are hoping to ignite their creativity and passion for filmmaking in anticipation of a screening of Winners on Thursday evening.
Both firmly believe in fostering children’s aspirations to pursue a career in the arts and said having Nazer shared his expertise has been invaluable.
Niamat said: "One of the highlights so far has been the presence of Hassan Nazer award-winning director who graciously shared his expertise and knowledge of filmmaking with the schools.
"Having such a talent visit us right at our doorstep was an invaluable opportunity for our aspiring filmmakers."
"The headteachers have been incredibly generous with their time and assistance which is why I am hoping we have a great turn out."
Refugee Festival Scotland runs until Sunday, June 25, and is celebrating the huge contribution people from refugee backgrounds make to life in Scotland.
The event will take place from 6.30pm to 10pm at Glendale Primary in McCulloch Street, Glasgow.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here