European cinema comes to twin cities

PNCA kicks off second European Film Festival

ISLAMABAD:

Film enthusiasts from the twin cities and four other cities across Pakistan will get a unique opportunity to discover European cinema at the second European Film Festival, which will get underway today (Friday) at the Pakistan National Council of Arts in Islamabad.

The film festival will also take place in five cities across Pakistan – including Multan, Gilgit, Peshawar and Quetta – from June 2 and continue till June 24. The festival has been dubbed a celebration that brings together filmmakers, actors and cinema enthusiasts. It has been billed as a unique opportunity for Pakistani audiences to discover the rich and diverse world of European cinema and get a glimpse into the cultural and social issues that shape modern European societies.

The screenings would include feature films and short films on various topics such as gender equality, relations between generations, embracing diversity, climate change and human rights.

They would be followed by panel discussions by renowned Pakistani filmmakers, actors, writers and academics to reflect on topics of relevance and various styles of storytelling.

Another interesting feature of the festival is interactive installations, including dubbing and video compositing booths. It would feature a tribute to 75 years of Pakistani cinema titled ‘Manduva’. It has been curated by Sarmad Khoosat in association with the Lahore Biennale Foundation.

Khoosat would also be part of a panel discussion with Sania Saeed and Saim Sadiq on ‘the democratisation of traditional media and film making through social media’.

The festival is open to the public and will be held at various venues including Universal Cinemas on June 4 in Multan, Karakoram International University on June 10 in Gilgit, Nishtar Hall on June 17 in Peshawar, and Noori Naseer Khan Cultural Complex on June 24 in Quetta. “Cinema provides an opportunity to dive into the worlds and minds of characters who live very different lives than ours.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 2^nd, 2023.