First Pakistani Film Festival To Be Held in New York

The first ever Pakistani Film Festival being organised by the Pakistan Mission will be held in New York from 3rd December to 4th December.

A website announcing details of what the Film Festival will entail was formally launched today. The website also features trailers of the movies to be screened at the Asia Society during the two-day-long festival.

The festival will kick start with a red carpet reception on 2nd December at the United Nations where ambassadors and representatives accredited to the UN will be invited alongside members of the Pakistani diaspora, media and film buffs.

The Festival is part of the continuing effort by the Pakistan Mission’s engagement to promote cultural diplomacy.

The festival will screen top Pakistani films including the latest Dobara Phir Se and Lahore Say Agay. Other films which will be featured include Actor in Law, Mah-e-Mir, 3 bahadur, Dukhtar, Dance Kahani and Ho Mann Jahan.

The star-studded audience includes, a number of Pakistani celebrities from the film industry; Fahad Mustafa, Hamza Ali Abbasi, Mahira, Mawra Hocane, Nabeel Qureshi, Saba Qamar, Wajahat Rauf, Yasir Hussain, Sheheryar Munawar, Asim Raza, Tooba Siddiqui, Adeel Hussain, Sanam Saeed, Humaima Malik, Jerjees Seja (JJ), Producer, Afia Serena Nathaniel and Mehreen Jabbar.

The all-Pakistani movie festival is a part of the continuing effort by Pakistan's UN mission led by Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi to project the country's soft powers. Talking about the Festival Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi said, “Young film makers in Pakistan are producing an incredibly diverse and entertaining array of movies which are contributing to the cultural renaissance underway in the country which is also reflected in the profusion of creative voices found today in Pakistan’s art, music, literature and the media.”

“We are bringing some of Pakistan’s movies to New York so that diplomats from 193 countries at the UN also have an opportunity to see what the country’s entertainment industry is producing,” she added.

 Pakistan is a candidate for the Human Rights Council and its reception at the UN is also aimed at promoting its candidature.