After voting by the previous members, Asma Waheed has been selected to join UK-China Film Collab as a new member via the organisation’s Future Talent Programme 2024-2025.
“Hi, I’m Asma, a graduate from the University of Oxford in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Chinese with Japanese). Having recently returned from a scholarship year in Japan, I’m eager to channel my passion for film and commitment to fostering cross-cultural understanding through the UCFC. I believe in film’s unique power to bridge divides, inspire change, and create harmony among diverse communities.
Alongside a personal project on migration in my local area, my project proposal aims to build deeper connections within local UK communities by facilitating sessions that equip individuals with the skills to document their own histories and lived experiences—drawing inspiration from China’s independent documentary filmmakers. In our current era, it is crucial to remember that we all have voices and a responsibility to record the everyday events or untold stories that might otherwise fade into obscurity.
Additionally, time permitting, I will research the impact of South Asian films in China and vice-versa— the multicultural nature of the UK arguably lends itself to wider exploration of foreign film influence in China. Acknowledging and researching this multifaceted diversity could help bring more traction to the UCFC, and aid in sharing its mission across previously unknown channels.
Film is the vehicle through which we realise that human experience is fundamentally shared, and as such should be viewed as a tool to relate and understand one another. Such a belief is why I highly admire the UCFC’s mission, and I hope my future endeavours will also be to support cultural collaboration.”
Contact Asma: asma.waheed@ukchinafilm.uk | Connect with Asma on LinkedIn
