Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir)
Film buffs across Pakistan will have the experience of a lifetime, yet again, to relish unique, never-before-seen films from all over Europe at the 3rd European Film Festival (EUFF) 2024, commencing on 15 May 2024 at the Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA) in Islamabad, followed by Peshawar, Quetta and Gujrat, between 16 and 29 May 2024.
The film festival will showcase over 20 films from European Union member states of diverse genres, from comedy to thrillers, from documentary to fiction, based on wide-ranging themes such as family, childhood, romance, friendship, climate change, history, war, economic hardship, human rights, disability and whatnot, as well as a few equally exciting Pakistani short films by emerging filmmakers and studios. Each film included in the festival is carefully handpicked to cater to an audience with an appetite for stories with a global appeal, and for vicarious pleasure in film watching. EUFF 2024 will provide the golden opportunity for Pakistani audiences to rediscover Europe, its rich and diversified culture, and its modern and adaptive societies.
The film screenings will be followed by interesting panel discussions in each city which will bring the audience face to face with some of the best names from the Pakistani film and television industry, be it filmmakers, writers or actors, who will deliberate about topics of interest and relevance to the public which can be addressed through the medium of visual storytelling. In Islamabad, renowned playwright Bee Gul, brilliant actor Sarwat Gilani, and rising star Ali Junejo will shed light upon how the world can be viewed through films and the importance of gaining a global perspective. The discussion will be moderated by the celebrated presenter, Omar Khalid Butt. Other prominent personalities will also join the festival, with Sania Saeed and Zafar Mairaj participating in Quetta, Irfan Khoosat, Tamkenat Mansoor and Faseeh Bari Khan in Gujrat, and Uzma Hassan, Mustafa Afridi, Fizza Ali Meerza and Saife Hassan in Peshawar.
The festival also brings with it, in each city, a masterclass titled “Decoding European Cinema” by none other than the budding filmmaker, writer and actor Ali Junejo. The masterclass is open and free for aspiring and practicing filmmakers, to help improve the understanding of world cinema and professional capacity building in the local film industry.
Other interesting features of the EUFF 2024 are interactive installations to satisfy the recreational appetite of the audience, and a range of food stalls to satisfy physical hunger.
EUFF 2024 is open and free for the public, and will be held on the following dates at these venues:
– 15 May, Pakistan National Council of Arts, Islamabad
– 17 May, Iqra National University, Peshawar
– 23 May, Noori Naseer Khan Cultural Complex, Quetta,
– 29 May, University of Gujrat, Gujrat
The 3rd European Film Festival (EUFF) 2024 is curated and organized by Olomopolo Media, a leading platform for cultural and creative expression through performing arts and visual media as tools for social awareness, sensitization and advocacy and awareness with the aim to create room for collective ethical development and socio-cultural sophistication.v
