Gandhara Independent Film Festival 2026 Opens with International Short Films

The Gandhara Independent Film Festival (GIFF) 2026, organised by Cirque Films, opened its seventh edition with an exclusive ceremony at the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA).

The opening night featured special screenings of nine foreign-language independent short films from France, Canada, Iran, Brazil, China, Australia, Saudi Arabia and Peru.

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The opening ceremony featured remarks from festival representatives and partners. Kiran Murad thanked the festival’s sponsors, including UBL, Candi Biscuit, Candyland, Olper’s Dairy Tea Creamer and Vatika.

GIFF Producer 2026 Beenish Umer acknowledged the support of industry partners, including Epic Pictures, Sharp Image, Hot Water Bottle Films, Bionic Films, Tallman Films, Y Productions and What’s Next.

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Afreen Zehra, Head of Media and Communications, highlighted the contribution of the festival’s institutional partners. These include Karachi Film School (KFS) as Educational Partner, NAPA as Venue Partner, Talking Point as PR Partner, See Prime as Strategic Partner and ARY Plus OTT as Streaming Partner.

The selected films explore themes including family heritage, creative struggles, relationships, identity, motherhood and social issues.

Thousands of Films Submitted for GIFF 2026

According to the organisers, GIFF received around 6,000 film submissions from Pakistan and other countries.

For the digital edition, 60 films were selected, including seven foreign-language feature films, 25 foreign-language short films and 28 Pakistani short films. The digital programme streamed on ARY Plus OTT and the GIFF website from September 18 to 30.

The on-ground programme at NAPA features 28 independent films. The lineup includes 19 foreign-language short films and nine Pakistani independent films.

The festival’s founder said GIFF began with no dollar budget but grew through years of commitment and passion for independent cinema. The founder also thanked filmmakers, audiences and others who supported the festival during its development.

NAPA Highlights Role of Performing Arts

Jarri Masood Zaidi, CEO of NAPA, welcomed guests during the opening ceremony.

He said NAPA was an appropriate venue for the festival because the institution views performing arts as more than entertainment. He described them as a means of understanding society, questioning the world and imagining new possibilities.

Zaidi also conveyed a message from NAPA Chairman Syed Jawaid Iqbal, who congratulated the GIFF team on organising the festival and highlighted the partnership between NAPA and GIFF as a reflection of their shared commitment to artistic excellence.

GIFF 2026 will continue through Sunday with screenings of international and Pakistani films, question-and-answer sessions and an awards ceremony scheduled for Sunday evening.