About ROYA FILM HOUSE
INTRODUCTION
Roya Film House (RFH) was founded in 2003 to shine a light on the plight of women in Afghanistan and throughout the world through feature films, documentaries and TV series. It was the first woman-run and woman-oriented film company established in Afghanistan, a country where women are severely oppressed and women in film and media are persecuted. Working in film is particularly challenging for women in fundamentalist countries.
RFH has won prestigious international cinematic awards for its work. The company’s feature film “A Letter to the President” (2017), was Afghanistan’s foreign-language Oscar entry. The film and more than 40 short documentaries have won more than 50 international awards. The company, founded by sisters Roya Sadat and Alka Sadat, has professional studios well equipped to produce feature films, documentaries, and TV series.
However, it is no longer possible to make films in Afghanistan. The return of the Taliban shut down any organizations producing art and any business run by women.
“Its furious rallying cry,” Variety wrote in its review of “A Letter to the President,” “will … resonate with audiences across the globe.” The film, Variety continues, “is characterized by the unmistakable urgency of having been made under specifically challenging political conditions.”
“Sima’s Song,” RFH’s latest film, had to be completed in Greece [???] as the political power in Afghanistan shifted.
TV drama
Roya Sadat pioneered the creation of TV dramas in Afghanistan. Her show “The Security of this House” was Afghanistan’s first dramatic television series. It was created for TOLO TV, a commercial television station in Afghanistan, in 2007. Sadat directed the 50 episodes of the show’s one season.
Her series “Khat-e-Sawom” ran for two seasons (2018-2020) and told the story of [HIGH SCHOOL? COLLEGE?]students from diverse cultures and different Afghan ethnic groups who struggle with the severe contradictions and challenges that disrupt their daily lives.
RFH has worked with local and international producers, creative directors, cinematographers, scriptwriters, designers, cameramen/women, actors/actresses, and composers to produce high-quality, innovative content for private, government and non-governmental clients.
Film Festivals
In 2013, RFH founded the Herat International Women’s Film Festival to showcase films about women, made by women. HIWWF’s mission is to raise awareness about issues affecting women and girls around the world and to issue a call to action for change. In its six years, HIWWF attracted filmmakers, film enthusiasts, and women’s rights activists from around the world. The festival was interrupted when the Taliban took over Afghanistan and women’s voices were once again silenced. Roya Film House has participated in more than 100 film festivals and key staff members have been on juries in film festivals around the world.
AWARD & NOMANIETIONED
2017: World Primer Locarno- International Film Festival-
A Letter to the President
Swiss info
A Letter to the President
Huffpost Locarno
A Letter to the President
2017: Asian Primer Bussan- International Film Festival
A Letter to the President
Hallowed Reporter Busan
A Letter to the President
2017: Oscar Film Academy - Oscars: Afghanistan Selects
A Letter to the President
Variety
A Letter to the President
Women and Hollywood- foreign-language-Oscar-
A Letter to the President
2015: IDFA - Official Selection and world premier
Afghanistan NIGHT STORIES
2022: Emmeline Pankhurst Lifetime Achievements Awards-
Pankhurst Lifetime Achievements Awards
ALKA SADAT
2021 KIMDAEJUNG NOBEL PEACE FILM AWARD ROYA SADAT
2021: BBC-100 INSPIRING AND INFLUENTIAL WOMEN FROM AROUND THE WORLD FOR 100 WOMEN BBC WORLD
ROYA SADAT
2019: Best Screenplay- SAARC Film Festival in Colombo
A Letter to the President
Embassy-Colombo- Best Screen Play-AZIZ DELDAR
A Letter to the President
2019: Best Actress’ Award - Sinema Zetu- International Film Festival (SZIFF) Tanzania-
A Letter to the President
Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) the largest cultural events in East Africa. Best-Actress-Award-Lina Alam-
A Letter to the President
2019: Discoveries section awards-Special Mention- AFFBCN AWARDS –Asian Film Festival Barcelona- Spain Awards lists
A Letter to the President
2019: Best Feature Length Film Award- WALA International Film Festival
A Letter to the President
2019: Zinta Club Weinheim Award at the WALA International Film Festival
Wala FF
A Letter to the President
2018: INTERNATIONAL WOMEN OF COURAGE AWARD, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE, ROYA SADAT
2018: SPECIAL PRIZE OF THE JURY, WALA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL,
A Letter to the President
2018: MUNICH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, ONE FUTURE PRIZE,
A Letter to the President
the Inter film Academy’s jury awarded the One Future Prize Munich Film Festival
A Letter to the President
2018: MALAYSIA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL & MALAYSIA (GOLDEN GLOBAL), NEW HOPE AWARD,
A Letter to the President
“New Hope” Award- Malaysia International Film Festival (Golden Global) 2018
A Letter to the President
First Class.com Golden Global Award
A Letter to the President
Finas.gov. global-awards-celebrates
A Letter to the President
2018: Dutch Ministry Foreign Affairs - (FDutchMFA) - Alternative Oscar
A Letter to the President
4 Awards from Vesol- France
A Letter to the President
2018: PRIX DU JURY LUCEEN STANDERD- Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema-
A Letter to the President
2018: PUBLIC MENTION AWARD- Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema
A Letter to the President
2018: INTERNATIONAL JURY MENTON- Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema-
A Letter to the President
2018: INTERNATIONAL JURY SPECIAL MENTION - Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema
A Letter to the President
2017: TOP 10 GLOBAL THINKERS OF THE WORLD, FOREIGN POLICY, WASHINGTON DC,
@ROYA SADAT
2017: ALTERNATIVE OSCAR AWARD, FOREIGN MINISTRY OF NEDERLAND,
2016: Remi Award (Best of Category), Remi Special Jury Awards, from 49th Annual Worldfest-‐‑Houston
Afghanistan Night Stories
2015: MAIWAND (MALILI) MEDAL, BY DECREE OF PRESIDENT2015: SPECIAL MENTION, LONDON AFGHAN FILM FESTIVAL,
2015: BIBI KHADDIJA AWARD, WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP AND BUSINESS, YEAR
2013: BEST SCREENPLY TV DRAMA RUMI AWARDS,
BEHESHT KHAMOSH
TO AZIZ DELDAR YEAR THE PROGRAM LAUNCHED IN LOSVEGAS SHOULD BE SOME LINK OF THE SHOW
2013: BEST TV DRAMA, RUMAI AWARD, LOS USA, .AFGHAN MEDIA
BEHESHT KHAMOSH
2012: FIRST FILM AWARD FOR AFGHAN FILM FESTIVAL–LONDON
PLAYING THE TAAR
2011: Public Liberties & Human Rights Award, Aljazeera International Documentary Film Festival
Half Value Life
2011: First Place, Documentaries, Women’s Voices Now Film Festival, Los Angeles
Half Value Life
2011: Human Rights Film Festival in Kabul
Half Value Life
2009: Best Film, Bilder vom Film Festival, Germany
Half Value Life
2009: Best Film, Egypt Film Festival
Half Value Life
2009: Best Director, Kabul Film Festival
A Woman Sings in the Desert
2008: SPECIAL PRIZE SEOUL DRAMA FESTIVAL,
SECRETS OF THIS HOUSE/RAAZ HAI EEN KHANA
2008: Best Director, Kabul International Film Festival
Half Value Life
2008: International Young Talent Competition — Generation DOK,
Half Value Life
Afghanistan Film Festival
Half Value Life
2008: Best Film, Bahrain Human Rights International Film Festival
1,2,3?
2007: UN-UNITED NATIONS, BEST SCRIPT, [BROKEN HAND SCRIPT] KABUL,
PLAYING THE TAAR
2007: Best Film, International Trevignano Film Festival, Italy
1,2,3?
2006: THREE DOTS: WIN SIX AWARDS (BEST DIRECTOR, BEST WIRITER, BEST CAMER MEN, BEST WRITER BEST MUSIC DIRECTOR). CATEGORIES, TOLO TV FILM FESTIVAL, AFGHNAISTAN.
2006: BEST SCRIPT, UNITED NATIONS, YEAR
PLAYING THE TAAR
2006: Peace Prize, Afghan Civil Society Organizations
First Number
2006: Best Film, International Almaty Film Festival, Kazakhstan
1,2,3?
2006: Best Camera Work, Kabul Film Festival
We Are Post-modernist
2005: SELECTION (THREE DOTS), FESTIVAL DES 3 CONTINENTS,
2004: BEST DIRECTOR RAVZANA FILM FESTIVAL, KABUL IN THE BELOW LINK SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PRIZE
BBC.COM PERSION