ARY Film Festival to start from May 4
- By Web Desk -
- May 03, 2017
KARACHI: ARY Digital Network on Tuesday officially announced the launch of the first edition of the ARY Film Festival
The announcement was made in a press conference in the city’s Pearl Continental Hotel where the organisers, sponsors, hosts, celebrities and the festival’s esteemed jury members interacted with the media and praised the ARY Digital Network’s efforts for the revival of cinema in Pakistan.
The festival will be held from May 4 to May 6, 2017 in Karachi’s Ocean Mall (5:00 PM onwards).
ARY Digital Network’s Shehzad Hassan Khan is the Festival Director while the jury members include country’s legendary writer Anwar Maqsood, Academy Award winner Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, Marilyn Agrelo (New York based filmmaker), Andy Merkin (US based Transmedia Concept Writer/Speaker), Jonathon Gann (US based Director/Writer), Jack Mcdonald (Emmy Award winning Filmmaker), Ram Kishore Parcha (Dehli Int. Film Festival) and Amna Khan (Director).
The films being showcased are as follows:
• Choora Ek Pratha
• Mabel aur Mein
• 100 Steps Sou Qadam
• Ek Pao Dahi
• Pannah
• Speechless
• Taqseem
• Gubbare
• Firaaq
• Kahaani
• Darba
• Dil Tau Bacha Hai
• Bits of What I Have
• 6 Cup Chai
• Black Square
• Toba Tek Singh
• Taweez
• Kathputli
• In Search of America Insha Allah
• Main aur Amrita
• FEICA A Life with Cartoons
• The Preservation of Art of Pottery Making
• Fakir
• Sindh Munjhi Maa
• Sandriders
• Pangolins in Peril A story of Rare Scales
• Masters of the Sky
• Shuwanag The Baloch Shepherd
• K2 and the Invisible Footmen
Apart from the above regular entries, the festival is also coming up with special screenings of internationally appreciated films such as Maheen Zia’s ‘Lyari Notes’, ‘Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velazquez Story’ contributed by the American Film Showcase and Anjum Shehzad’s ‘Mah e Mir’.
Academy award winner Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy’s ‘Song of Lahore’ will also be premiered at the festival.
“It has been our foremost endeavor to develop and nurture the film industry in Pakistan. We have now embarked on yet another journey in the same direction, the ARY Film Festival, whereby we will provide an opportunity to new and creative filmmakers from Pakistan and around the world to come showcase their talent and get recognized for their efforts. This is our first year for the festival and we intend to make it bigger and better in the years to come” Mr. Salman Iqbal, President & Founder of ARY Digital Network said in his message regarding the festival.
The aim of ARY Film Festival is to provide a vital platform for the youth and film-making enthusiasts to come together and celebrate their passion for the art form, creating an opportunity to set-up a forum where renowned names from the film and media industry will be able share their knowledge with the participants.
In total there were more than 400 films received from various countries around the world including Pakistan, India, USA, UK, Canada, Germany, India, Malaysia Brazil, Russia, Australia, Ireland, Bahrain, Dubai, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia. More than 80 international films were received.
35 films will be screened this year at the festival, which is a good mark for the first year for any festival.
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