| TITLE OF THE FILM | Searching for Grandpa |
| DIRECTED BY | Mohamad W. Ali |
| LANGUAGE | Kashmiri, Urdu (English subtitles) |
| YEAR | 2025 |
| COUNTRY | India |
| DURATION | 22 minutes |
| SPECIAL NOTE | Indian Premiere |
PRINCIPAL CREW & CAST
| WRITING | Mohamad W. Ali |
| CINEMATOGRAPHY | Arnab Laha |
| EDITING | Chandan Biswas |
| SOUND DESIGN | Vipul Nigam |
| SOUND DESIGN & MUSIC | Armand Amar |
| PRINCIPAL CAST | Zahira Mushtaq, Talib Mushtaq, Zahoor Zaidi |
ABOUT THE FILM
Set in a serene Kashmiri village in the mid-90s, on the morning of Eid, young siblings Hasan (8) and Zahra (6) shout “Eid Mubarak” from a hilltop, their voices echoing through the valley as children reply from the opposite slope. Travelling with villagers in a cart, they pass tense military checkpoints—Zahra’s innocent banter with a soldier bringing unexpected ease.
Back in the village, their mother, Sara, joins other women in Eid songs and weaving. Zahra, still enchanted, tells the village girls about the magical coloured sweets she saw in the city—sweets they could not taste but would never forget. Later, the children wander through the fields searching for their grandfather, but he is nowhere to be found.
A tender story of innocence, longing, and the fleeting joys of childhood.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Mohamad W. Ali is a distinguished filmmaker, screenplay writer, director, cinematographer, and colorist, whose work is deeply influenced by his experiences growing up in war-torn Syria. He earned his degree in Mass Media from Damascus University and later honed his craft at the prestigious Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute in India, specializing in Film Direction and Screenplay Writing, graduating in 2024. Ali’s early career was marked by the creation of numerous documentaries that captured the stark realities of life in conflict zones. In pursuit of further artistic development, he relocated to India, where he spent seven years directing films not only in India but across various South Asian countries. His dedication and talent earned him an invitation to the esteemed BAFA Busan Asian Film Academy program in South Korea in 2023.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
Searching for Grandpa explores memory, absence, and inherited silence through a child’s gaze. The film reflects how family stories dissolve across generations, yet emotions remain. By blending realism with gentle nostalgia, I wanted to capture the quiet longing of searching for someone who exists more in memory than in presence.
