The Pakistan Calling Film Festival is a celebration of the new wave of cinematic creativity in Pakistan, and a call to film lovers, supporters and the general public to further promote the development of this powerful art form in our country. Film is a transformative medium, it gives expression to different ways of thinking; it shows the limitlessness of our imagination and evokes within us our curiosity of the human condition and the world we reside in. It has the power to unite, educate, and inspire people.
Pakistan Calling Film Festival, in partnership with the VM Art Gallery and the Department of Visual Studies at the University of Karachi, is an initiative designed to give independent filmmakers the opportunity to showcase their talent in a space that enables and celebrates creativity. The two-day festival will exhibit works from all
genres of film – from fiction to documentary to animation – as well as have workshops headed by professionals from the film discipline. The festival will create spaces for dialogue and discussion focusing on the importance of film to our society and help link filmmakers with the resources they need to facilitate the production of their films. Pakistan Calling Film Festival will also showcase visual art exhibitions, live performances and other exciting features that honour and commemorate Pakistani film culture.
The VM Art Gallery and University of Karachi, with inspiration and encouragement from our friends at the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) and The Samosa UK, aim to sound the call to Pakistani filmmakers around the globe to be part of the Pakistan Calling movement and help build a community that supports, guides and mentors the current budding talent in our country.
While the first Pakistan Calling Film Festival is fuelled by the passion of Pakistani filmmakers who dream big and work in strenuous conditions; we aspire to continue growing in the years to follow, into a platform that brings together Pakistani thinkers and doers to work towards building a community of positive change-makers.
Festival prizes and awards to be announced.