Brooklyn College Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema Alumnus Saleem Gondal a Winner at Gotham’s Fourth Annual Focus Features & JetBlue Student Short Film Showcase
February 2, 2023
His film Post Term becomes the second Feirstein thesis film honored with the prestigious award since 2020.
A scene from the short film Post Term.
Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema alumnus Saleem Gondal ’22 M.F.A. had his thesis film, Post Term, selected as a winner in the Gotham Film & Media Institute’s Focus Features & JetBlue Student Short Film Showcase.
Saleem Gondal
Gondal wrote and directed Post Term. Other Feirstein students who worked on the film as part of their studies were Kellie Brook Malone (producer), Arsalan Danish ’22 (cinematographer), Donna Del Castillo ’22 (cinematographer), Adriana Céspedes ’22 (editor), Rose Frullani-Bacon (producer), Justine Thompson (sound designer), and Ben Steiner (dialogue editor).
Gondal follows fellow Feirstein alumna Mandy Marcus ’20 M.F.A. and her team, who won the same honor in 2020 for the film Cousins.
Post Term is an exploration into romance and tradition, highlighting the language of intimacy in South Asian culture. The 16-minute short film continues Gondal’s passion for telling stories about the power of conversation and sound to convey the interior lives of underrepresented communities onscreen.
The story hinges on a Pakistani immigrant couple during the first year of their arranged marriage in America. Rahimah and Haaris are desperate to connect, but the uncertainty of their future as parents in a strange country threatens the passion just beginning to form between them. When Rahimah sees a kindred spirit in her husband’s forgotten poetry, she takes her chance at sharing something she’s never expressed before—her doubts. Gondal hopes the film will inspire audiences to challenge the barriers to communication in their relationships, so no one has to go through their fears alone.
Gondal said he is honored to receive the recognition and credits his experience as a student in the Graduate School of Cinema and his professors who shaped him into the filmmaker he is today.
“The best parts about Feirstein were the great teachers and the lessons learned in the classroom while making this film,” Gondal said. “The pandemic robbed a lot of opportunities to use all resources, but I learned a lot about directing actors and establishing a cinematic point of view from my professors, including Jon Shear, Julia Solomonoff, Rick Lopez, and Steele Filipek. I would not have made this film if I didn’t come to Feirstein.”
“Post Term is a wonderful example of the work coming from Feirstein,” said Richard N. Gladstein, the school’s executive director. “Its universal themes will speak to many. Saleem and his team created a dynamic and riveting immigrant story from a unique and personal perspective. We are so proud of this group.”
His earlier work and pilot script, Drum and Verse, was chosen for the Muslim List and was created by The Black List in collaboration with the MPAC Hollywood Bureau and Pillars Fund. Additionally, Gondal’s short film Super Sonic has been screened in film festivals in New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago, and Austin, Texas, as well as internationally in Pakistan, Iraq, Germany, and Nigeria. Super Sonic was featured in TasveerTV, a South Asian virtual cinema platform, and is currently streaming on CineAsian Films. Adding to his accomplishments, he has also been selected as a finalist for the 2022 Pillars Artist Fellowship and is developing a feature, Tortilla Roti, a drama about a Punjabi Mexican family during the Great Depression, with the support of the Gotham Week Project Market.
The fourth annual showcase received projects from 23 graduate film schools. A special jury of filmmakers, curators, and critics selected the five winning filmmakers, who were recognized during the 2022 Gotham Awards Ceremony on November 28, 2022. Each winner received a $10,000 grant and will have their films shown for 12 months on JetBlue’s seatback entertainment systems under the “Gotham Selects” movie category and on Focus Features digital streaming platforms. Throughout 2023, winning filmmakers will also receive ongoing mentorship and workshopping opportunities from The Gotham Film & Media Institute, as well as media coverage provided by Filmmaker Magazine, and a global mentorship to SoHo House.
The Gotham aims to discover and empower a diverse group of emerging filmmakers as well as foster multiplatform distribution of their work through the annual program.
“Covering a broad range of genres and new subjects, the wildly imaginative work from these incredible up-and-coming talents assures me that the future of film is in good hands,” said Jeffrey Sharp, executive director of The Gotham. “Inclusive mentorship and early career support are pillars of The Gotham community, and we relish the opportunity to help young filmmakers find their footing in this industry. We’re grateful for the continued support of our loyal partners, JetBlue and Focus Features, along with our new partner, Soho House, and their commitment to this pivotal program.”
