Two-Time Academy Award Winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy Boards Oscar-Qualified Short ‘Don’t Be Late, Myra’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, the two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker, has come aboard as executive producer on Afia Nathaniel’s short film “Don’t Be Late, Myra,” boosting the project’s profile as it campaigns for the 98th Academy Awards.
The short, which secured Oscar qualification after a strong festival circuit run, reunites Nathaniel with Pakistani storytelling a decade after her feature debut “Dukhtar” premiered at Toronto in 2014.
Nathaniel’s latest work centers on young Myra (Innayah Umer), a 10-year-old navigating Lahore’s streets alone after missing her ride to school. The film tracks her increasingly dangerous walk home, capturing the threats children face in public spaces. Drawing from her own experiences as a survivor, Nathaniel tackles the often-unspoken issue of child harassment head-on.
“Myra’s story is both urgent and real,” Obaid-Chinoy said. “‘Don’t Be Late, Myra’ gives voice to the fears every young girl knows too well, while celebrating the courage it takes to survive and to be heard. To stand behind this film is not only a responsibility, but a joy. I am proud to join as executive producer and to help bring this vital story to the world.”
The filmmaker’s backing carries considerable weight. Beyond her two Academy Awards and two Emmys, Obaid-Chinoy directed Marvel Studios’ “Ms. Marvel.”
The short claimed top honors at Bergen International Film Festival of NJ and Montreal International Film Festival.
Additional executive producers include Rohi Mirza Pandya through Box Office Guru Media and RASA Film Group, along with René Bastian (“Transamerica”) and Shrihari Sathe (“Stay Awake”) from Dialectic.
For Nathaniel, a Pakistani-American director, the project continues her track record of purpose-driven work. “Dukhtar” represented Pakistan at the Oscars and screened in more than 20 countries. She later broke barriers at NBC Universal, becoming the first Pakistani-American woman to helm a U.S. network drama when she directed “Chicago Med” through the Launch Female Forward initiative.
