Distribution Club's CEO and famous producer Sheikh Amjad Rasheed was elected as the new Chairman of PFPA while Sangeeta Begum was elected as the Senior Vice Chairman. As for the Vice Chairman, renowned producer, Momina Duraid was selected.
However, what stood out in this year's election were the faces of emerging producers who took part in the process. Not only were they invited for the occasion but they were also included in the governing body of the organisation. These include Sarmad Sultan Khosat, Hassan Zia Ameen, Wajahat Rauf, Chaudary Javed Warriach, M Khalid Ali, Zulifqar Mana, Irfan Malik, Haji Aslam and Azizullah Khan.
Other producers who were a part of the ceremony included Ammara Hikmat, Chaudary Ejaz Kamran, Momina Duraid, Syed Noor, Sheikh Amjad Rasheed, Sheikh Abid Rasheed, Mian Amjad Farzand, Shahzad Rafique, Dr Bushra, Ghulam Mohiuddin, Pervaiz Kaleem, Rashid Khawaja, Masood Butt, Faiyaz Khan, Johnny Malik, and Sheikh Afzal Rasheed.
The first meeting of the new governing body was held in a local hotel in Lahore right after the ceremony. The representatives discussed issues faced by the current film industry, while briefing about their future plans to empower the discourse altogether.
"We need to make a collective contribution in order to strengthen our local film Industry," Rasheed told The Express Tribune. "We need to produce new films and co-produce with foreign countries including China, Iran and other emerging cinema industries. PFPA will make sure these ideas are applied and worked upon in the upcoming year."
Adding to the discussion, Duraid said, "Our local industry is going through a critical time and every one is skeptical about making any experimental developments. However, every member of the association is our strength and we will collectively work to make things better. Our local cinema is only attracting a particular group of people, given the kind of content that is being produced. Thus, we need to produce films that cater to a larger audience, along with making cinema affordable for the common man," she stated.
While Hikmat also opened up about the challenges faced by the industry, as she showered the newly elected with high expectations, she noted, "I congratulate the newly elected body of PFPA and hope that they will do their best for the welfare of our industry. However, my first suggestion and demand is for the development of a data base introduction and dictionary of all film stakeholders, including producers, directors, writers, music directors, and others in the field, so that making contact with the film community becomes easier."
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