The Queen of My Dreams, a joint production venture between Pakistan and Canada, is set to make its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival 2023. The film will have its grand premiere at the prestigious festival on September 8, 2023.
The cross-cultural comedy has been directed by Fawzia Mirza.
“I always dreamt of making a feature film in Pakistan, and this entire experience was a dream come true,” Mirza was quoted in a press release.
The film boasts of an impressive ensemble cast as it stars Amrit Kaur, Nimra Bucha, Hamza Haq in the lead characters whereas Gul e Rana, Ali A. Kazmi, Meher Jaffri, Bakhtawar Mazhar, and Adnan Jaffar in important roles.
The film follows Azra, a Pakistani woman in Toronto, challenging her mother’s conservative views. After her father’s death in Pakistan, Azra journeys through a blend of real and imagined memories, exploring her mother’s past in Karachi and her own upbringing in rural Canada with hints of Bollywood influence.
The Queen of My Dreams was shot for 30 days in Karachi and an additional 10 days in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Canadian cinematographer Matt Irwin and production designer Michael Pierson collaborated with Karachi-based Cyrus Kyranjia and Imran Naeem, Fizza Ejaz, and Faiz Rohani, and Minahil Chima and Nanson Gill to bring the film’s multiple time periods to life.
“The Pakistan team also included 1st AD Farjad Akhtar and unit production manager Ameer Hamza, who also worked with Noronha on In Flames, which had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. In Flames’ producer Anam Abbas is also an executive producer on The Queen of My Dreams,” stated the press release.
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