Storytelling that Catalyzes Social Change
SOC Films is a Karachi-based film and animation house specializing in investigative and socially motivated content. With two time Academy and Emmy award winning journalist and documentary filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy at its helm, SOC Films seeks to unbridle contemporary social issues in Pakistan and around the world. Deep diving into the lives of people living on the margins to give these issues a human face, SOC Films seeks to set a new standard for groundbreaking cinema that furthers the art of fiction and non-fiction storytelling to Raise consciousness and bring about social change.
SOC Films is a full service production house that offers a variety of services including short and long form documentary films, 3D animation, public service messages and media awareness campaigns. Our creative and production team consists of directors, producers, writers, researchers, editors, and animators who work fearlessly to craft perceptive and affective fiction and non-fiction stories using innovative strategies and diverse mediums. Through the introduction of its Karachi film house, SOC Films intends to groom a new generation of directors, producers and writers who will be equipped with the skills and training to produce quality films for both Pakistani and international audiences.
Our offices have spearheaded the induction of a hybrid form of storytelling in which gripping real life stories are matched with compelling cinematography and rich visual post production treatments to produce material that moves and resonates with global audiences.
As we widen our local reach, we are expanding globally; our teams have filmed in over seven countries including Georgia, Bangladesh, and Kenya. Using a nuanced approach to documentary filmmaking, we tackle difficult issues and highlight local and global individuals and organizations working toward social progress. Advancing our ethos of telling real stories of real people into the realm of fiction, we are forging new ways of storytelling for global players such as the Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, TED, the World Bank, Gucci, UNICEF amongst many others. By expanding our mediums and using cutting edge technologies such as 360 degree film, virtual reality, and even scent diffusers, we invite viewers to be active witnesses and participants in the immersive stories we tell.
SHARMEEN OBAID-CHINOY
Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy is the only female director to have been awarded two Academy Awards by the age of 37. Since 2001, she has made over two dozen multi award films in over 16 countries around the world. Her films include Student Athlete, Girl in the river, Song of Lahore, Saving Face, PeaceKeepers and Transgenders: Pakistan’s Open Secret. In 2012, Time Magazine included Sharmeen in their annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. That same year the Pakistan Government awarded her with highest civil honor “Hilal -e–Imtiaz ”. In 2013, the Canadian government awarded her a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for her work in the field of documentary films and the World Economic Forum honored her with a Crystal Award at their annual summit in Davos. In 2017 the International Center for Journalists awarded her the Knight International Journalism Award for her work that led to legislative change. In 2017, Sharmeen was the first artist to co-chair the “World Economic Forum”at Davos. In 2018, Sharmeen was awarded The Eliasson Global Leadership Prize of The Tällberg Foundation for ‘Leadership in a Disrupted World’. Sharmeen holds a Bachelor's degree from Smith college and two masters degrees from Stanford University. In 2018, Smith College awarded her an honorary degree in Fine Arts.