- SUNO RESIDENCY
Make a Film That Changes How Mental Health Is Seen
Production funding, creative mentorship, and psychiatric insight for emerging Pakistani filmmakers creating bold, human-centred short films.
Current status 2026 applications are now closed.
For
Emerging filmmakers
Focus
Mental health and the wider human experience
Format
Short narrative, documentary, or hybrid film
Support
Production funding, mentorship, and psychiatric insight
Status
2026 applications closed
A Note from Dr. Mina Husain
Stories can create a different kind of understanding. As a filmmaker and psychiatrist, I have seen how a single, emotionally truthful story can open a conversation that facts alone cannot. I created the Suno Fellowship to give emerging filmmakers the resources, creative freedom, and thoughtful support to make work that is both artistically ambitious and deeply responsible.
Why the Fellowship Exists
Mental health is part of every human story, yet on screen it is still too often reduced to silence, to stereotype, or to diagnose. The Suno Fellowship supports emerging Pakistani filmmakers to tell more truthful stories: stories with psychological depth, cultural specificity, and the freedom to be cinematically bold.
We believe film can reach places that clinical language cannot. It can make an internal experience visible, invite audiences into unfamiliar lives, and begin conversations that continue long after the credits.
The fellowship brings filmmakers into a carefully supported development process where creative ambition is strengthened by lived experience, credible research, and psychiatric insight. The goal is not just to make educational films. It is to make compelling cinema that expands how mental health is seen and understood.
What Fellows Receive
Production funding
Financial support to move an original short-film concept into production.
Creative mentorship
One-to-one guidance from filmmakers and industry professionals across development, production, and post-production.
Psychiatric insight
Non-clinical consultation that helps fellows explore psychological and social realities with nuance.
Research and lived-experience guidance
Support identifying credible sources and engaging people closest to the story with care and consent.
Industry learning
Focused sessions on story, directing, producing, audience strategy, and the realities of independent filmmaking.
A community of practice
A cohort of filmmakers and mentors committed to brave, humane, culturally grounded storytelling.
Pathways to audiences
Guidance on screenings, festivals, partnerships, and conversations beyond the film itself.
How the Fellowship Works
01
Apply
Submit your creative proposal, work sample, and a clear account of why this story matters to you.
02
Shortlist and conversation
Selected applicants are invited to discuss their vision, approach, readiness, and support needs with the fellowship team.
03
Develop the story
Fellows refine character, structure, point of view, and visual language through guided creative development.
04
Research with care
Psychiatric insight, credible research, cultural context, and lived experience help deepen the story without turning people into diagnoses or symbols.
04
Make the film
Fellows move through production and post-production with milestone-based mentorship and practical support.
Responsible Storytelling
Mental-health stories can involve vulnerability, trauma, stigma, and unequal power. Fellows are expected to work with informed consent, respect privacy, avoid unnecessary harm, and consider how contributors and communities may experience the finished film. Suno provides guidance, but responsibility remains part of every creative decision.
The Suno Fellowship is an arts programme, not a clinical service. Applicants and fellows are never required to disclose a diagnosis or personal mental-health history.
Who Can Apply
The fellowship is designed for emerging filmmakers ready to develop an original short film with mental health at its heart.
- You are applying as the lead creative on an original short narrative, documentary, or hybrid film.
- Your project meaningfully explores mental health, emotional life, identity, relationships, belonging, or the social and cultural forces that shape wellbeing.
- You can participate fully in development, mentorship, production, and review sessions.
- You are open to research, feedback, ethical reflection, and collaborative learning.
- You can submit in English or Urdu. Films in any language are welcome, with English subtitles required for the completed work.
What Fellows Create
Each fellow develops and completes one original short film. We welcome fiction, documentary, and hybrid approaches. Fellows will be given a subject matter related to a mental health research study.
Fellow Stories
The fellowship is built around the filmmaker: their voice, their growth, and the film they are ready to bring into the world. These reflections offer a glimpse of what that support can make possible.
“Being part of the Suno fellowship was a turning point in my journey. It wasn’t just about making my directorial debut—it was about creating a film that sparked meaningful conversations around an issue that needed attention. The support I received made all the difference.”
Mohammad Ali Hashmi
2023 Suno Fellow
“This fellowship is more than just support—it’s a community of mentors and creatives pushing me to tell a story that matters. I’m excited to see my vision come to life with the resources and encouragement I’ve been given. It’s shaping my work in ways I never expected.”
Hira Sheraz
2024 Suno Fellow
Leadership and Mentors
Suno brings together filmmakers, mental-health expertise, partnerships, and programme leadership to support each fellow from first idea to audience.
Dr. Mina Husain
Founder & Executive Director
Samman Chaudhary
Head of Global Partnerships
Zarrar Kahn
Executive Mentor & Strategic Advisor
Anam Abbas
Executive Mentor & Strategic Advisor
Fahad Zahid
Director of Strategic Partnerships
What Happens After You Apply
1. Confirmation
You receive an automatic email confirming that your application has been submitted.
2. Review
The selection team reviews all eligible applications against the published criteria.
3. Shortlist
Shortlisted applicants are invited to a conversation about their project, process, and availability.
4. Decision
All applicants are notified by email. Selected fellows receive written programme terms and an onboarding schedule.
Ownership and Use of Work
Fellows retain copyright in their original films. Suno may request a non-exclusive licence to screen, excerpt, and promote completed work in connection with the fellowship, its partners, and its public-engagement mission. Exact terms will be shared in writing before participation is confirmed.
2026 applications are now closed.
Join the 2027 interest list to receive the next application dates, eligibility details, and programme updates when they are announced.
Your Story Can Change the Conversation
If you are developing a bold short film that sees mental health with honesty, complexity, and dignity, we want to hear from you. Join the interest list and be the first to know when the next Suno Fellowship opens.