The second edition of the Pakistan Film Festival, organised by Pakistan’s mission to the UN, will take place in New York next month, featuring top stars from the country’s movie industry, according to an official announcement.
Several of the latest films from Pakistan will be screened on July 7 and 8 at the prestigious Asia Society.
The films that will be screened during the festival include Na Band Na Baraati, Punjab Nahi Jaongi, Cake, Verna, 7 Din Mohabat In, Parchi, and Lala Begum, says a press release.
Oscar award winner Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy will also participate in the festival in a special segment titled “Beyond the Oscars”, in which she will discuss her present and future work as well as challenges faced by Pakistan’s film industry.
Her animated film, 3 Bahadur was screened at the first Film Festival in New York in December 2016.
Among the galaxy of actors and stars expected to participate in the festival are Mahira Khan, Mikaal Zulfiqar, Sheharyar Munawwar, Aamina Sheikh, Hareem Farooqi, Zeb Bangesh, and Mehwish Hayat.
Apart from these celebrities, a number of movie directors and producers will also attend the Festival, including Mehreen Jabbar and Nadeem Baig.
An enthusiastic advocate of promoting the soft image of Pakistan through cultural diplomacy, Pakistan’s ambassador to the UN, Maleeha Lodhi, organised the first-ever Pakistan film festival in the US in December 2016 in New York.
The second festival is part of her continued efforts to project the country’s soft power.
“Pakistan’s movie industry has continued to evolve, having gone through an exciting revival, and we are proud to present another edition of the Film Festival in the Big Apple,” Lodhi said while speaking about the upcoming festival.
She said that a new generation of filmmakers in Pakistan have spearheaded the rebirth of cinema in the country and are producing incredibly diverse and entertaining films.
The festival will be followed by a reception on July 9 at the United Nations where ambassadors, UN officials and media representatives accredited to the UN will be invited, as well as members of the Pakistani diaspora.