About Taken for Granted
Runtime: 14 minutes
Language: Persian
Genre: Drama
“Āin”, a teenage girl from a small village of Herat, Afghanistan (near the border of Iran), is visiting Kabul with her father to participate in a robotics competition and gets separated in the Kabul market when the Taliban attack, and her only way out is in the middle of it all.
Synopsis – This story is about Āin who is smart, talented, LOVES to learn, has big dreams, and has an urge to do something through education that would make a difference in her life as well as many others like her.
Āin is visiting Kabul with her father to take part in a robotics competition and gets separated from him when the Taliban attack the market they were in. In this chaos, she gets pushed into an enclosed place and soon finds out that she is not the only one in there. She finds comfort in knowing that she is not alone in the enclosed place, but at the same time, it is about finding courage in making the remaining journey on her own.
Cast: Amelia Rae, Mojan Nourbakhsh
Best Shorts Competition June 2021- Award of Excellence: Film Short
Best Shorts Competition June 2021- Award of Excellence: Women Filmmakers
Cosmic Film Festival- Finalist - Best Short Film
World Film Carnival, Singapore- Outstanding Achievement Award - Women's Film
Tagore International Film Festival- Outstanding Achievement Award - Women's Film
Gangtok International Film Festival- Outstanding Achievement Award - Best Short Film
Tokyo International Film Festival- Finalist - Best Short Film
Druk International Film Festival- Outstanding Achievement Award - Short Film
Druk International Film Festival- Outstanding Achievement Award - Women's Film
Calcutta International Cult Film Festival- Winner - Women's Films
London Indie Shorts Festival- Semi Finalist - Narrative International Shorts
Detroit Trinity International Film Festival- Official Selection - Short Film
The Hollywood First-Time Filmmaker Showcase- Official Selection - All Film Categories
Los Angeles Lift-Off Film Festival- Official Selection - Short Live Action Narratives
Silicon Beach Film Festival- Official Selection
Florida Shorts Film Festival- Semi-Finalist - US Narrative Short
Dumbo Film Festival- Semi-Finalist - Short Narrative
South Asian Film Festival of America- Official Selection - Short Film
Moody Crab Film Fest- Winner - Best Women's Short
Worldwide Women's Film Festival- Official Selection - Short Film
Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival 2022- Official Selection - BEST SHORT FILM
Ocean City Film Festival- Official Selection - Dramatic Shorts
New York Tri-State International Film Festival- Winner - Best Female Empowerment Film
Nicomedia International Film Awards- Nicomedia International Film Awards
Oasis International Film Festival- Winner - Best Short Film
Oasis International Film Festival- Winner - Best Women's Film
New Wave Short Film Festival- Finalist - Women Empowerment
V.i.Z Film Fest- Official Selection - Best Short Drama and Best Short Film Director
V.i.Z Film Fest- Finalist - Best Short Drama and Best Short Film Director
V.i.Z Film Fest- Winner - Best Short Film Director
Cooper Awards- Official Selection - Best Drama Short Film and Best Director Short Film
Cosmic Film Festival- Official Selection - Annual - Best Short Film
Beyond the Curve International Film Festival- Official Selection - Best Women's Film
Onyko Film Awards 2022- Official Selection - Best Short Film
New York International Women Festival- Semi-Finalist - Best Short Film about Women
Female Filmmakers Fuse Festival- Official Selection
DC South Asian Film Festival- Official Selection
Director: Manasi Patel
I’m a Writer, Director, Storyteller, Artist, Meditator, Timeline Jumper/Traveler, Space and Alien Lover, Clean Freak, Highly Organized, Strong-Willed, Problem Solver, Very Patient, Calm, Extremely Focused, and Passionate about my work.
Fun facts about me – I have never ever had any caffeine in my life – no tea, no coffee, no soda, no alcohol either, I barely sleep, and I do not like hugging or being hugged (except for about 5-6 people who are my tribe).
On a more serious note – I was born and brought up in India, and have been in Los Angeles, CA for over 2 decades. I have always been fascinated with the magical world of story-telling and cinema. I believe that stories are blueprints of one’s life experiences in the form of language of – art, music, cinema, and imagination. Ever since I was a kid, I was very interested in listening to the life experiences of people around me and watching films from all around the world. Growing up in India, where parents mainly pushed their children to pursue a degree in engineering, medicine, or business, I am fortunate to have parents who gave me the freedom to choose, and live my dreams and passion regardless of societal pressures and norms.
I moved to Los Angeles at the age of 19, to pursue my education in film at Otis College of Art and Design. Right after I graduated, my short documentary film “Anuttara” was selected at various film festivals across the USA. Being an immigrant is not easy in this country with so many immigration laws that restrict you from moving further at a consistent pace. I was no exception and when the roadblock hit, I deviated a bit and went to India to work on a Bollywood film as a 1st AD, until my visa situation was sorted. Once my work visa was approved, I came back to LA and was hired on Avatar as an assistant to an assistant VFX Coordinator. I was hired for 5 weeks and I ended up working on the film all the way till the DVD release (for approx. 2 years). After Avatar, there was no looking back. I then worked as a VFX coordinator on other A-list films like Knight and Day, Life of Pi, The Darkest Hour, and Looper. Almost a decade later, I took a break from working to start a family, and after 2 kids and 7 years later, I decided to make a short film and also kept at my writing. The majority of my stories are female-centric and are all culturally diverse. One such short film is Taken for Granted.