Fatima, a committed schoolteacher living the cosmopolitan high life in Karachi, has her life shattered when her nanny, Nusrat, inexplicably disappears. Though her friends and family beg her not to disturb the status quo and confront the powerful feudals in Nusrat's village, Fatima travels there to investigate. Will the trials and tribulations deter Fatima's resolve? Will the quest challenge an already complicated romantic relationship? Josh (Against the Grain) is the story of Fatima's search for a dangerous truth in Nusrat's feudal village. It is the story of the biggest challenge to Pakistan's still reigning feudalism: the country's youth.
A global citizen, Iram is an award-winning empathic creator excited to tell thought-provoking stories that are socially impactful and envision an inclusive world. Bilal has quickly become a voice to reckon with in the Muslim community and on the World Cinema stage. Invested in “raising while rising”, her past films have led to measurable shifts in causes they championed. She has not only formed initiatives to uplift her community in film and tech but has also championed causes that are traditionally unpopular to support. Bilal initiated the formation of the Pakistani Oscar committee and is the founder of QALAMBAAZ, Pakistan's first professional screenwriting lab, now in year ten. Iram is also an active mentor for women in film and tech. Spotlighted as 1 of 8 directors to watch by the Alliance of Women Directors, a board member of the Film Fatales, she is also a Film Independent, Watson fellow and multiple time Women in Film awardee. She has been profiled by the New York Times, featured on NPR, BBC, Bloomberg, Filmmaker Magazine among others. She is a proud graduate of Caltech and the USC Peter Stark Program. When she isn't telling stories, she is dancing to Bollywood tunes or nerding out with fellow Caltech engineers. She believes genuine curiosity is the only antidote to fear. Her biggest and boldest work to date, feature film WAKHRI (English Title: One of a Kind) just returned from a critically successful World Premiere at the Red Sea Intl. Film Festival, a nationwide theat
