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Ahad Abid’s ‘The Paper Lantern’ showcased at Lift­Off Film Festival

'The Paper Lantern'
‘The Paper Lantern’

International filmmaker, Ahad Abid has had his latest short film project ‘The Paper Lantern’ showcased at the recently held LiftOff Film Festival in London.

The film was selected, along with 2000 global entrants to the prestigious London Lift­Off Film Festival this year.

‘The Paper Lantern’ tells the story of former LAPD Officer, now Private Investigator Hank Gillian. Hank is again presented with the very case that led to his demise with the LAPD. The film pays homage to classic Noir films set in 1950’s Los Angeles, such as Chinatown and The Maltese Falcon, while also presenting a modern take on vintage film noir character types. Abid attempts to defy character tropes and other preconceived notions about the genre through his choices in casting and the direction of the story.

“I really wanted to give the Noir Genre a face­lift because I think we as an audience have preconceived ideas when it comes to film noir,” said Ahad Abid. “I always try to see my films through the eyes of the audience. I ask myself what have they seen in the past and how that informs what they expect to see – this way I’m able to create a story that leads the audience in a certain direction, hinting at what is about to happen, and then completely subverting those expectations. With the Noir Genre, we expect to see generic character types of Caucasian male detectives and femme fatales — The Paper Lantern shatters these norms.”.

“Having a screening at the London Lift­Off Film Festival is an incredible honor,” said Ahad Abid. “This festival truly provides a platform to showcase so many innovative and fresh ideas within the independent film market, both locally and internationally. I can’t wait to be a part of it!”

“The strength of entrants this year was truly remarkable. Not just from the British filmmakers but filmmakers from all over the world. Getting into any Lift­Off is a big deal; our judges are ruthless, so expect exceptional work at the screenings,” said James Bradley Co­Director and Co­Founder of Lift­Off. “We believe this programme is the best we have ever had in our 6­year history of screening films around the world. This is not to be missed!”

Lift­Off currently has festivals in London, Manchester, New York, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Paris, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Sydney, Tokyo and Los Angeles.