Neela Asmaan, the artist residency initiative founded by Academy Award and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, proudly announces a landmark moment in its journey: the launch of its first-ever International Artist Exchange Programme in collaboration with Etxe Betea, a renowned residency space for women filmmakers based in the Basque Country, and Gariza Films.
This international exchange will serve as a cultural bridge between Pakistan and Europe, strengthening creative connections across regions and disciplines. The inaugural cohort will feature Tamara Lucarini from Basque, a filmmaker selected by Etxe Betea, who will travel to Pakistan in August 2025 to undertake a two-week creative residency at Neela Asmaan. In return, a Pakistani female filmmaker will be selected to travel to Madrid in 2026 for a two-week creative residency at Etxe Betea.
The call for proposals for its Fall 2025 International Artist Residency Program is now open inviting Pakistani female filmmakers to apply with projects that explore bold, original ideas in film, documentary, or experimental media. This collaboration aims to spotlight women’s narratives across cultures, reinforcing Neela Asmaan’s core commitment to empowering underrepresented voices.
Founded in 2022 and supported by Gariza Films – an independent, feminist production house created by filmmaker Lara Izagire Garizurieta – Etxe Betea has quickly established itself as a vibrant space for creative dialogue. After five successful cycles, the program is now managed by Basque Know How Fundazioa, extending its mission to foster cross-border creative exchange.
Summer 2025 Cohort Announced
Alongside this international milestone, Neela Asmaan also announces the artists selected for its two-week immersive Summer 2025 residency from 14th till 28th June 2025 in the Shigar Valley:
● Sophia Bano, a multidisciplinary writer and editor from Karachi, will create a suite of experimental poems inspired by classical subcontinental raags, weaving together verse, digital photography, and vocal exploration.
● Iza Rizwan, an Islamabad-based 2D digital artist and animator, will begin work on a visual series addressing the harrowing issue of child gang rapes in Pakistan, portraying trauma through the lens of memory, pain, and resilience.
Open Call for July 2025 Residency
Neela Asmaan has also announced its next Open Call for Pakistani artists for the upcoming summer cycle in July 2025. The residency invites emerging and mid-career artists to apply for a two-week creative immersion in the serene Shigar Valley. This cycle continues Neela Asmaan’s mission to support powerful storytelling and socially engaged artistic practice, inviting proposals that respond to themes including: memory as home, nostalgia and belonging, sharing as an act of togetherness, and ecological resilience. Artists are encouraged to explore intergenerational memory, cultural rituals, indigenous food traditions, environmental renewal, and the emotional connections that bind people to each other and to the land. The deadline for submission is: 25th June 2025.
Indeed, located in the breathtaking Shigar Valley of Gilgit-Baltistan, the Neela Asmaan residency offers artists time, space, and inspiration to deepen their practice, explore new ideas, and opportunities for collaboration and cultural exchange. A key aspect of the residency is community engagement: artists will lead workshops in local schools and community centers, fostering artistic dialogue at the grassroots level.
For further details on the exchange program, residency themes, and application guidelines, visit SOC Films.
