The Pakistan Cinematic Industry has been soaring new heights, and gaining the appreciation of audiences, not just locally, but worldwide as well. Our filmmakers and actors have acquired admiration globally and are continuing to awe viewers with increasingly innovative projects.
Since 2008, Little Art annually celebrates the Lahore International Children’s Film Festival, where youngsters from all age groups, residing in both rural and urban areas, are encouraged to showcase their short films in a healthy competition, promoting the nation’s culture, values and creating awareness of the social conflicts.
Up until recently, there has been little affiliation and help from the government to assist people in the aforementioned industry, and there is a lack of awareness among the country dwellers to recognize the work or pay their respect. For example, two-years-in-a-row Oscar winner Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, was only able to have her documentaries acknowledged famously in Pakistan, once she had obtained the golden statue figure. Featured films are privately sponsored and funded by firms and channels to be advertised and played in cinemas internationally. Rarely films from other countries (with the exception of productions of Bollywood and Hollywood) are played in cinemas of Pakistan.
Therefore, the Government of Pakistan has now taken the initiative one step further, and introduced the addition of the Karachi International Film Festival, which will commence its very first session in the year 2018, from the 1st – 4th of February.
In a recent meeting of the Karachi Film Society, at the Governor’s house, where the attendance also included Sultana Siddiqui, Jameel Baig, Dr. Ishrat Hussain, Shermeen Obaid Chinoy, Ameena Siyid, Sirajuddin, and Khalid Mansoor; Muhammad Zubair was highly enthusiastic about the event saying it would revolutionize the era of film industry and revive it from the depths of the problematic issues that merely prevent it from emerging to its maximum capability.
A two-day seminar was arranged in the Governor House so as to formulate a film policy. It was regarded as a success and is hoped to help favor the industry in the long run.
The festival would be a four-day event, where the citizens of Karachi would be allowed access as being the audience to several movies on numerous topics that surface the globe. Also, the government hopes that holding such an occurrence would not only promote the country’s value internationally but also would act as an outlet to portray its better side to the world and develop its image in a positive way.
Moreover, with the increasing number of students that now uptake the courses of film and media as a prospect of their future careers, it is now vital that the country is able to provide them with a substantial platform where they can learn, showcase and work towards a recognized benchmark that can act as a bridge of communication to entertainment industries abroad. KIFF can play the role of a hub where the gathering of preeminent directors, writers, actors, not necessarily from Pakistan, are able to pass on their experience and knowledge profoundly.
Simultaneously, films being made abroad would also have a bigger stage to present their movies and projects to a huge target audience, familiarizing them as well as us with the potential markets of the entertainment industry.
Occasions like these, are also a way of enhancing the unity and bond between the people where they can finally set aside the various distinctions that exist between cultures, religions and practices so as to reconcile the differences to administer peace and tranquility.
The function would also endorse the distribution of ideas so as to facilitate learning as well.
Accordingly, there have been few significant instances where the legendary and famous participants of the film and cinematic industry have been given their deserved fame and glowing tribute. If this is done so, it would motivate and urge the newcomers and pre-existing members to pave way to success with increasing hard work and determination.
The Film Festival would be staged in collaboration with the many cinemas that house maximum amount of people stationed across the city such as Sea View, Nueplex, etc, where films (short and featured) as well as documentaries would be screened from countries worldwide.
In the light of events that this Festival is administered triumphantly, it would prove to be an enormous breakthrough that would reap Pakistan several benefits both economically as well as socially, and embark an exciting journey for the young filmmakers-to-be; where in the future it would be looked back upon as one of the most memorable and outstanding proposition up taken by the current government and enabled the beginning of a new dawn with broadened horizons and fresh opportunities.