Articles

New Toronto-based TV show reveals nuanced experiences of immigrant women over potluck lunches

A potluck lunch between three Toronto ladies has turned into an award-winning TV series that gives justice to first generation immigrant stories. Read More

Independent TV Pilots Are Having A Moment

Can television have its own New Hollywood moment?
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Javed’s Potluck Ladies is following another, slightly unusual route. The series follows three women between the ages of 25 and 45 who live in “The Wives Condos” in the suburbs of Toronto with their children, while their husbands work in other countries. They initially meet at potluck lunches, a weekly guilt-free escape from the loneliness of immigrant life. At first glance, they seem to be living perfect lives, but when their carefully crafted façades crumble, they must learn to be vulnerable and seek each other’s support.
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SeriesFest unveils ‘Potluck Ladies’ & ‘Breakthrough’ among Awards winners

Canadian scripted show Potluck Ladies and a documentary exploring what happens when elite athletes are forced to end their sporting careers were among the stand-out winners at this year’s Independent Pilot Competition at SeriesFest in Denver. Read More

‘Broken Toilets’, ‘Potluck Ladies’ & ‘Neo-Dome’ Among SeriesFest Pilot Winners

SeriesFest, the television event in Denver, drew dozens of independent creators over the last few days and has now handed out some awards for its pilot competition.

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Winners included Shazia Javed’s Potluck Ladies and Jesse Toledano’s Broken Toilets, while Anna Camp-starring Neo-Dome, from Mark and Matt Pfeffer scooped the audience award. Read More

Yes TV, Hollywood Suite to serve up Potluck Ladies

Canadian channels Yes TV and Hollywood Suite have licensed “slice of life” series Potluck Ladies, which has begun principal photography in Toronto and Oakville, Ont., and will continue shooting through August. Read More

Mississauga director to release television show inspired by South Asian women in GTA

It’s a television series made by a Mississauga woman, inspired by Mississauga women. Shazia Javed’s new slice-of-life series, “Potluck Ladies,” is a four-episode show following the lives of three South Asian women who have recently immigrated to the GTA. Read More

Comedy web-series ‘Second Chance, Hina!’

WATCH NOW: TEASER DROP FOR SOUTH ASIAN-CANADIAN COMEDY WEBSERIES, ‘SECOND CHANCE, HINA!’

Documentary ‘3 Seconds Divorce’ revisits the effects of triple talaq on Muslim women

Shazia Javed’s documentary 3 Seconds Divorce was made before the historic Supreme Court ruling that struck down the practice of triple talaq and the controversial Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, which proposes to criminalise instant divorce. The experiences of the women featured in the film are a reminder of why protests against the practice have raged over the decades. 3 Seconds Divorce will have its Indian premiere in the international competition section at the Mumbai International Film Festival that will run between January 28 and February Read More

Video installation with 'powerful message' earns top spot at VAM show

For the first time ever, a video installation piece has earned first place honours at Visual Arts Mississauga’s annual juried exhibition.

Kendra Ainsworth is curator of contemporary art at the Art Gallery of Mississauga, where the exhibition is on display until Feb. 18. Although she wasn’t a part of the three-person jury, she did sit in on the jury process.

Ainsworth wasn’t sure how visitors would respond to Shazia Javed’s winning piece, “Can You Hear Me?” because it’s a video installation; they’re somewhat of a rarity in the VAM exhibit and a deviation from the more traditional forms of visual art. However, on opening night, any wariness she might have felt about its reception quickly melted away.Read More

Creating a fair space

3Seconds Divorce is a 52-minute documentary made by Canada-based Shazia Javed, who came to India to make this film on a subject that is very close to her heart. It is a story derived from the instant talaq allowed by Muslim law which is followed often, by an equally damaging custom called Halala. Award-winning filmmaker Shazia Javed’s  docu-short Namrata was produced by the National Film Board of Canada. She was a finalist for three Alberta Media Production Industry awards. Her short Can you hear me? won the first prize at Visual Arts Mississauga’s 39th Annual Juried Show of Fine Arts. She is also the winner of 2017 MARTY award hosted by the Mississauga Arts Council. Read More

My job was to amplify their voice, give them a platform: Shazia Javed on 3 Seconds Divorce

Speaking at the world premiere of her documentary, the filmmaker spoke about why she was compelled to focus on subject of triple talaq and the importance of letting the women’s voices speak for themselves. Read More

Muslim filmmaker’s work shows support for controversial sex education curriculum

A Mississauga documentary filmmaker’s latest project attempts to change public perception there is no support in the Muslim community for Ontario’s updated sex education curriculum.

The Liberal government’s revision of the Healthy Sexuality component of Ontario’s Health and Physical Education Curriculum has been a highly controversial decision.

Some parents, upset the new material promotes sensitive and explicit discussion about sexual issues they feel young children shouldn’t be dealing with, have protested in their school communities and at Queen’s Park.

Opposition to the curriculum has thus far managed to drown out the voices of advocates. Read More

Politics, patriarchy, triple talaq oppress Muslim women … but Uniform Civil Code also suppresses their voice: Shazia Javed

Indo-Canadian filmmaker Shazia Javed is directing the first documentary on the practice of triple talaq in India, called ‘3 Seconds Divorce’. Speaking with Eram Agha, Javed discussed the shockingly high incidence of triple talaq petitioned against by 50,000 Muslims recently, stubborn resistance to reforms from Muslim patriarchal leaders – and why she thinks talk of a Uniform Civil Code won’t help:

While making this film, what kinds of facts came to light?

Honestly, we were startled by the numbers – we didn’t know that so many women encountered this method of divorce or lived in the fear that their husband may throw them out of the house anytime. Read More