12 HOURS

AWARD-WINNING SOCIAL-IMPACT SHORT FILM

LOGLINE During the final twelve hours of a dying patriarch’s life, pandemic restrictions prevent his family from touching him—until a nine-year-old girl crosses the divide and forces them to confront the conflicts keeping them apart.

FORMAT Narrative short film · International co-production

MY ROLE Writer · Director · Producer · Editor

RECOGNITION Jury Mention — Boston Film Festival · Audience Award — Gandhara Independent Film Festival · Winner — Stockholm City Film Festival · Best Covid Theme Film — Cannes World Film Festival · Official Selection — UK Asian Film Festival · Nominee — Swedish International Film Festival

DISTRIBUTION Licensed by MUBI

ABOUT THE FILM

Set during the isolation of the Covid-19 pandemic, 12 Hours uses one family’s final gathering to explore grief, estrangement and the human need for physical connection. As old resentments surface around a dying man, the youngest person in the house becomes the catalyst for confrontation and reconciliation.

Filmed in Istanbul as a British, Dutch and Pakistani collaboration, the project brought together an international cast and crew to create a dramatic response to the shared experience of 2020.

AUDIENCE-LED DEVELOPMENT

12 Hours also became a test case for an online audience-feedback process designed to bring structured viewer insight into the edit.

The film was screened remotely to participants across 11 countries. A purpose-built survey measured emotional engagement, character connection, narrative clarity and pacing.

THE PROCESS

1. Share a secure online screener

2. Gather responses through a guided audience survey

3. Organise and visualise the findings

4. Translate audience insights into editing decisions

5. Re-edit and test the revised cut with a new audience

The process combined creative judgement, audience research and digital technology to strengthen the final film.