An award-winning crime thriller produced with the involvement of a University of Chester student is now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video in the UK and the United States.
Jujji, a neo-noir feature film set in Pakistan, was co-produced by Asad Chaudhry, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) student at the University of Chester and a founding member of Yūgen Studios Pvt Ltd. The film has already won Best Feature Film at the Gandhara Independent Film Festival and the Punjab Police Film Festival.
Yūgen Studios was established three years ago in Islamabad with the aim of supporting Pakistan’s independent film scene. With no formal film industry framework to rely on, the team developed their own production, documentation and distribution processes from the ground up. What began as small internal screenings among the founding team later grew into open sessions for filmmakers across Pakistan, creating opportunities for shared learning and collaboration.
Directed by Habib Shahzad, Jujji blends the mood and visual style of classic noir with a contemporary South Asian setting. The film follows two police officers as they track a serial killer through the densely populated streets of Rawalpindi – a city rarely explored in international cinema.
Following its festival success, worldwide distribution rights for Jujji were acquired by Buffalo 8, enabling the film to reach a wider international audience. The film is now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video in both the United States and the United Kingdom, with further territories expected to follow.
Asad worked as production co-ordinator on the film and described the process as intense but rewarding.
“Since Pakistan does not have a fully structured film industry, we had to build our own processes from the ground up,” he said. “There were no templates to follow. Everything from production to documentation and distribution had to be created by the team ourselves. While challenging, it also gave us the freedom to shape a workflow that suited our vision.”
He said seeing Jujji become one of the first Pakistani productions to reach an international on-demand platform was a significant milestone.
“It’s another vote of confidence and a sign that Pakistani stories can travel when they are made with sincerity and intention,” he added. “It gives our team motivation to keep creating and refining the kind of cinema we want to be known for.”
Alongside his work on Jujji, Asad has founded the Chester Filmmakers Society at Storyhouse in the city centre. The group aims to build a supportive community for filmmakers and encourage the exchange of ideas between creatives from different backgrounds.
“The aim is the same as it was back home – to build community and exchange ideas,” he said. “My vision is to help create an international network of filmmakers who support each other and bring local stories to a global audience.”
Senior Lecturer in Marketing and Professional Development at the University of Chester, Trevor Omoruyi, praised Asad’s achievements, highlighting his ability to balance creativity with leadership alongside his academic studies.
“Balancing creativity with leadership isn’t easy, yet Asad has shown how powerful it can be when someone leads by example and supports others,” he said. “The release of Jujji on Amazon Prime Video is inspiring to the wider Chester MBA team and Business School.”
He added that Asad’s contribution to the University of Chester Festival of Ideas 2025 further reflected his commitment to ethical and collaborative production practices.
