After the resounding success of Nazariya 2, held last year, Nazariya 3.0 marks the next chapter of the flagship film festival organized by Ziauddin College of Media Sciences (ZCOMS), Ziauddin University. The festival continues its mission to celebrate creativity, ideation, and freedom of expression by providing a platform for young storytellers to showcase their talent through the art of filmmaking.

This year, the festival is built around the theme of Roots & Routes. The idea invites filmmakers to explore stories of connection, movement, and transformation in their many forms. Roots represent the personal, cultural, and historical ties that shape who we are, while Routes symbolize the journeys, literal or metaphorical, that open up new possibilities. Together, they reflect the interplay between where we begin, where we travel, and how these experiences shape the worlds we inhabit and create.

We invite entries in the form of short films and documentaries that interpret this theme in original, meaningful, and thought-provoking ways.

Be part of Nazariya 3.0, and join us in celebrating stories that inspire, question, and transform.

Awards & Prizes

- Best Short Film
- Best Short Documentary
- Best Direction
- Best Acting
- Best Sound (films and documentaries)
- Best Art Direction
- Best Cinematography
- Best Screenplay
- Best Editing

Rules & Terms

1. Only Film from Pakistan are accepted.

2. The film should not contain any copyrighted content. All content, footage, music and score, images, artwork, etc. must be original. In case any copyrighted content is used, the submission must be accompanied by written permission of the copyright owner. ZCOMS will not be liable for any copyright material used unlawfully.

3. No graphic or verbal obscenity will be accepted.

4. Any content that has any reference to a political affiliation of any sort will not be acceptable.

5. Any content that has any negative comment or reference to any religion or ethnicity will not be acceptable.

6. Any content that promotes, glorifies or in any manner has reference to anti nationalist sentiments will not be acceptable.

7. By submitting a film at ZCOMS Film Festival 2021, the filmmakers agree that ZCOMS can use glimpses of the film for promotion / show-reel purposes.

8. Films in languages other than English or Urdu must have subtitles hard printed throughout the film.

9. Any part of the film where the spoken language is other than English or Urdu must have subtitles hard printed.

10. All films must be submitted via filmfreeway.com only.

11. A teaser / promo not exceeding 30 seconds in duration and 1 GB size must be submitted along with the film. This can be done in “View” section in “My Projects”.

12. Only films directed by students are acceptable. You have to submit a valid student ID along with your film. This can be done in “View” section in “My Projects” using “File & Attachments” tool.

13. Submission does not guarantee inclusion in the festival. Participants will be notified if their film is selected for the screening. Only shortlisted films will be screened a day before the award ceremony.

Accepted Durations

a. Short film - under 07minutes
b. Short documentary - under 07minutes

Technical Guidelines

1. Acceptable resolutions (No letterbox / pillar bars).
a. FHD (16:9) 1920 x 1080
b. Flat (1.85:1) 1998 x 1080
c. Scope (2.39:1) 2048 x 858

2. Acceptable formats: Quick Time encoded in H.264 or .mp4 (video bit rate appropriate to the content).

3. Audio: stereo encoded at 320 Kbps.

4. Film must be uploaded (10 GB maximum size). Films submitted with a link to another streaming site will not be acceptable.
4 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
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Networking
  • Sajjad Kochai

    Thanks for ZCOMS film festival it shows that stories are matter .

    January 2026
    Helpful
  • Ghulam Abbas

    It was a wonderful experience, but i would like to mention that best documentary film and secondly best short film award, these 2 awards were not announced at all, I don't know why.

    November 2025
    Helpful
  • Sahil Abbasi


    The ZCOMS Nazariya Film Festival has set a new benchmark for Pakistani students and filmmakers, offering a platform to showcase creativity and talent. With its focus on innovative storytelling and local narratives, it inspires emerging filmmakers to push boundaries and excel in the industry.

    October 2024
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you Sahil for the kind words. We are excited and looking forward to seeing your new work for this this festival too!!

  • Sapna Zamir

    Thank you so much ZCOM nazariya film festival it was really an amazing festival and also thanks for recognizing our efforts!

    February 2024
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you Sapna for the kind words. Ver soon we will be announcing the second installment of our festival Nazariya 2. Looking forward to receiving fresh work from you.