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    Pakistan Calling Film Festival: Celebrating All Things Pakistan

    Written by: Farheen Abdullah
    Posted on: November 28, 2016 |

    An exhibition by VM Art Gallery at the Pakistan Calling Film Festival

    If you believe that you need to be a renowned director with a huge budget to create a film that will be appreciated by the Pakistani audience, you’re probably unaware of Pakistan Calling. Established to celebrate and promote all things Pakistan, it encourages our youth to engage with their culture and contribute to Pakistan’s social development.

    Serving as the inaugural event of their movement towards social and cultural development, Pakistan Calling Film Festival was held on Saturday, 26th and Sunday, 27th November at the Rangoonwala Centre, Karachi. The main purpose of the event was to serve as a platform for filmmakers to showcase their work in a space that promotes and celebrates their cinematic creativity.

    Pakistan Calling Film Festival

    Actor Shakeel in conversation with Mallika Rangoonwala (left), the director of the festival

    Directed by Mallika Rangoonwala, the festival was divided into various segments that took place over the course of two days, including a multitude of short films, panel discussions and workshops, as well as an art exhibition featuring the works of 50 artists who came together for the festival.

    Pakistan Calling Film Festival

    Actor Talat Hussain addresses the press after the panel discussion

    Welcoming film enthusiasts of all age groups, Saturday morning kicked off with the screening of six short films, followed by panel discussions on ‘The Nexus of Film & Television’ and Karachi Biennale’s ‘Film as Witness’. Moderated by Saqlain Zaidi, the first panel discussion explored the relationship between television and cinema, and shared the experiences of personalities such as Talat Hussain and Seema Taher Khan on crossing the boundaries between the two. ‘Film as Witness’, on the other hand, emphasized the importance of art and its history, with panelists Sibtain Naqvi and Nameera Ahmed examining the role of film in witnessing this social and cultural history.

    Thirteen other short films, including the sixty-second clip titled Shehnai, and the event’s special selection, ‘These Birds Walk’, were screened on the same day. The last panel discussion for the day, ‘The Business of Film’, explored potential concerns arising from film production, especially for distributors and cinema owners, and their impact on the careers of those involved.

    Sunday morning started off a little slow owing to the sleeping patterns of Karachiites. The first film of the day was a documentary based on the practices of the people of Neelum Valley. As noon approached, a panel discussion titled ‘The Future of Animation in Pakistan’ commenced, attracting a large audience. The second half of the day screened another nine short films, along with a panel discussion on ‘Film for Social Change’, which highlighted the power of the moving image and its ability to bring change in our society. Finally, the closing ceremony celebrated the success of the event with a musical performance by Quaid Ahmed and Sharjeel O’Neil from ‘Sounds of Kolachi’. Seasoned TV actor Qazi Wajid was also presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the end of the evening.

    While some may be inclined to think that getting up early on a weekend to watch a few films would be a waste of energy, the film festival proved to be a real treat for all those present. Not only did the attendees get a chance to learn from the workshops held on lighting in film, animation, acting, directing and scriptwriting, but they also gained interesting insights into what actually goes on behind the camera and in the lives of filmmakers.

    Pakistan Calling Film Festival

    A pictorial representation of the journey of film and TV over the decades

    The quality and variety of films screened was the highlight of the festival. Whether it was an art film, an animated video, a silent movie or a mere minute-long clip, each film had great attention to detail and left an impact on the audience in its own way.

    There were a number of documentaries as well, one of which particularly stood out. No Father was based on the real-life stories of children of the Hazara community, who had lost their fathers as well as other family members in the attacks on Shias in Pehawar. An interview of a man who had lost his wife and three children in a similar incident left the audience overwhelmed with emotion. Another powerful documentary was Gondogoro La, which served as a true motivator for people who wish to follow their dreams. Featuring the trekkers who attempted to reach K2 Base Camp, Gondogora La explores the beauty of Pakistan’s mountains, and the tremendous courage it takes to summit peaks. The team consisted of individuals from Canada, France, and Pakistan, including a 63-year-old man and a 15-year-old girl, which demonstrated that dreams do not come with restrictions or barriers, and no goal is ever out of reach.

    Pakistan Calling Film Festival

    The courtyard displayed a variety of stalls

    Pehchaan (Identity) by Asad Anees proved that long monologues are not needed to deliver a meaningful message to an audience. Based on Pakistan’s first graffiti artist, Abdullah Ahmed Khan (popularly known as ‘Sanki King’), the short film demonstrated that “it is more important to understand yourself than understanding the world”.

    The rich variety of genres and the constant shift in themes was worth commending and kept the crowd on their feet throughout the festival. From amongst the animated movies, ‘Barking Dogs’ by Naseer Ahmed Rind had the greatest impact. Featuring a young girl who goes out at night wearing a burka to buy medicines for her sick father, the short film depicts the objectification that women face on a daily basis in our male-dominated society.

    The film Taweez (Amulet) by Shahrukh Naveed also deserves recognition. Although dealing with the specific phobia and its treatment through cognitive behavioral therapy, Taweez was a feel-good movie featuring a group of four friends. With one of the characters providing constant comic relief, the film had the audience swaying to its great soundtrack while learning lessons about friendship and self-belief.

    If it sounds like the festival only catered to film enthusiasts, you must visit the VM Art Gallery! Curated by Munawar Ali Syed and featuring the works of 50 artists including Danish Ahmed, Sana Nezam and Anam Shakil, a special exhibition titled ‘Lights, Art and…Action!’ is being displayed at the gallery till 10th December, 2016. For anyone who missed out on the festival, make sure you don’t let this one slip by!


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021