Shehzad Afzal

Shehzad Afzal is a Scottish writer, director, producer, editor, cinematographer and game designer born in Dundee (of South Asian heritage).^{[1][2][3][4][5] [6]}

Shehzad Afzal
Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal Ribbon
Born	Dundee, Scotland
Nationality	Scottish
Education	MA with Distinction in Screen Project Development
Alma mater	Robert Gordon University University of Abertay Dundee Dundee College Edinburgh Napier University University of Edinburgh
Occupation(s)	Director, screenwriter, producer, editor, cinematographer, game designer
Years active	2003–present
Known for	Bo Kata / The Full 10 Yards / Down The Rabbit Hole / Vanille / Pendulum Drift

He produced and directed Bo Kata^[7][8][9] a documentary film which received a limited UK theatrical release in 2007.^{[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]}

Life

A former graduate of Robert Gordon University, University of Abertay, Edinburgh Napier University and Dundee College, where Shehzad studied Computer Science, Creative Writing, Screen Project Development (Screen Academy Scotland, MA with Distinction), and Management; winning the first prize award for his academic achievements and receiving the prestigious Edinburgh Napier University Class Medal.^[4]

He was a finalist in the Global Digital Cities Video Game Design Competition in 2005 and 2007.^[4][20]

In 2010 he was awarded the Abbey Santander Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film and Creative Media.^[4]

Shehzad was selected for the Engage Programme, a European-wide talent development program in 2010, developing screen projects, traveling to Ireland, Finland, Estonia, and Scotland, undertaking workshops and masterclasses.^[4]

In May 2016, Shehzad attested and became a reservist in the British Army at the age of 47, joining the Corps of Royal Engineers, passing his basic training at Army Training Centre Pirbright^[21] in February 2017 aged 48, making him one of the very few people to have accomplished this feat. Retiring from the Army in 2022, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal.^[4]

After two films, Ravi Dreams (2003),^[22] a documentary about culture and mysticism in Lahore and Transvestite Days(2004),^[23] a short film giving a glimpse into the life of a Transvestite in Lahore, Pakistan; Afzal's first collaborative film, shot in Edinburgh, Scotland, 2004, was a short four-minute piece called The Full 10 Yards.^{[24][7][25][26]}

At Screen Academy Scotland, Shehzad produced two award-winning short films, including the first collaboration on a film project between screen academies in the UK (Screen Academy Scotland & Screen Academy Wales).^{[27][28][29][30]}

Nominee for the Satyajit Ray Film Foundation Award for Best Film Award 2007 in association with the British Council and the British Film Institute for documentary film, Bo Kata.^[17]

Presented by Sean Connery, the Edinburgh International Film Festival 2009 & Skillset Trailblazer Award which celebrated emerging talent in British Cinema.^{[31][32][33][34][35][36]}

In 2019, Shehzad developed an Android Application called Bo Kata Digital, which allowed his documentary, Bo Kata, to be available as a downloadable app available from Amazon App Store and Google Play store.^[4]

Shehzad was selected as a finalist for the Scottish Ex-Forces in Business Innovator of the Year Award 2025, recognising his achievements in developing innovative creative narratives and efficient sustainable production methods.^{[37] [38] [39]}

Filmography

Year	Film	Role	Notes
2003	Ravi Dreams[22]	Director/Producer/Editor/Cinematographer/Sound Recordist	Urdu language / Punjabi language with English Subtitles filmed on location in Lahore, Pakistan
2004	Transvestite Days[23]	Director/Producer/Editor/Cinematographer/Sound Recordist	Urdu language / Punjabi language with English Subtitles filmed on location in Lahore, Pakistan
2004	The Full 10 Yards[40]	Writer/Director/Producer/Editor	English language filmed on location in Edinburgh, Scotland
2007	Bo Kata[40]	Director/Producer/Editor/Cinematographer/Sound Recordist	Urdu language / Punjabi language with English Subtitles filmed on location in Lahore, Pakistan
2009	Down The Rabbit Hole[41]	Producer	Romanian language filmed on location in Bucharest, Romania
2009	Vanille[40]	Producer	French language, German language filmed on location in Paris, France
2019	Bo Kata Digital[40]	Director/Producer/Editor/Cinematographer/Sound Recordist	Urdu language / Punjabi language with English Subtitles filmed on location in Lahore, Pakistan