Karachi Film Society announced its second edition of Pakistan International Film Festival which will take place from 25th to 27th October. This year the festival focuses on animated films only. The event will have multiple activities including seminars, talks, workshop and film screenings along with three Pakistan premiers of international productions.
Karachi Film Society is a non-profit organization and parent body of Pakistan International Film Festival (PIFF), founded by renowned producer/director Ms. Sultana Siddiqui. Other notable members of KFS are Jamil Baig, Ameena Saiyid, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, Sirajuddin Aziz, Javed Jabbar, Ronak Lakhani and Sayeeda Leghari. The festival is supported by the Government of Sindh through its Department of Culture.
The activities of the festival include a seminar scheduled to take place on October 25th on the topic: ‘Potential of Animation in Pakistan – Challenges & Opportunities’. Filmmaker Sana Tauseef who produced animated film ‘TikTok’ in 2018, will be the moderator for the seminar and will be joined by panelists Amyn Farooqui, Co-CEO/Co-Founder & Creative SHARP IMAGE; Daniyal Noorani, CEO – Wakhra Studio /Creator Quaid se Batein; Aziz Jindani, Founder – Talisman Animation Studio, Creative Director ‘The Donkey King’; Arif Jilani, Producer Barajoun Entertainment, BILAL – a New Breed of hero; Imran Ali Dina, Lecturer/ GFX Mentor and Asif Iqbal Bridge Animations &VFX -Chief Executive Officer. The chief guest will be Mr. MurtazaWahab – Advisor to Chief Minister of Sindh on Law, Anti-corruption, Establishment and Information.
Six films will be screened during PiFF: BILAL: A New Breed of Hero (Arif Jilani – producer); ALLAHYAR and the Legend of Markhor (Uzair Zaheer Khan – director, writer & producer); Mary & The Witch’s Flower (English Language producer); Modest Heroes – (Ponoc Short Films Theatre, Volume 1); Kanini & Kanino; created by (Hiromasa Yonebayashi). Life Ain’t Gonna Lose presented by Yoshiyuki Momose, the “right-hand man” to famed animation director Isao Takahata; Invisible drawn and animated by Akihiko Yamashita. The Donkey King (Aziz Jindani – Founder of Talisman Animation Studios and co-producer, co-writer and creative director of The Donkey King) and 3 BAHADUR: Rise of the Warriors (Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy – director, SOC Films).
The Short Films include Global Citizens; Why are sea levels rising; Saif the fisherman and Quaid Se Batein (Daniyal Noorani – Creator). The Workshop will be conducted by Geoffery Wexler. From his work on Studio Ponoc’s debut feature film ‘Mary and The Witch’s Flower’ to his pursuit of storytelling worthy of Isao Takahata’s masterpiece when producing the English-language version of Studio Ghilbi’s ‘Only Yesterday’ will be discussed in the session.
The Festival will be a gathering of professionals, students, academia and enthusiasts of animation in Pakistan. The three-day long event will be the first of its kind in the country and will open new doors for progress in this growing industry.
