Karachi Hosts the World Culture Festival 2025
The Arts Council of Pakistan (Karachi) is bringing together more than 800 artists for the World Culture Festival 2025, to be hosted in the city by the sea. Gathering voices, movements and colours from across the world, the event is a celebration of diversity through performance, sound and visual expression. It is a showcase of creativity building an understanding across cultures.
The Sound, the Stage, the Story
Pakistan’s representation is exten-sive and varied. Musicians Akbar Khamiso Khan, Akhtar Chanal, Asim Azhar, Bilal Saeed, Imran Momina (Emu), Lutaf Ali, Mai Dhai, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Ustad Abdullah Khan, Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, Izat Fateh Ali Khan, Ustad Nafees Khan and Wahab Bugti reflect the richness of the country’s artistic landscape. From folk and classical to contemporary sounds, their performances connect genera-tions and traditions.
Theatre showcases the work of Fawad Khan, Khaled Anam and Khalid Ahmed, representing Pakistan’s growing stage culture. Lending the stage further credence of artistic authenticty will be a showcase of classical and contemporary dance by Sheema Kermani and Nighat Chaudhry.
Together, these artists capture the energy of Pakistan’s creative identity, where cultural heritage and self-expression exist side by side.
The Sound, the Stage, the Story
Beyond Pakistan, the festival features a wide range of international talent across disciplines. Groups such as 7 Spices, Anikaya, Ballet Beyond Borders, Barcelona Repertory, Bedaya Group, CirkBiz’Art, Eurythmy West Midlands, Inkaba Creative Arts House, Khalaha Theatre, Lidia Kopina and Veronika Berashe Vich, Mine Nur Şen, Ozlem, Sahar Assaf, Sakai Internat-ional, Scalambra, Soky Productions, Spirit Sisters, Stages Theatre Group, The Freedom Theatre, Umunyinya Theatre Company, University of Diyala and Wava Theatre will bring distinct traditions, languages and storytelling forms to Karachi audiences.
The global music lineup reflects the same diversity, with artists including Adiga Music Band, Arthur Ban, Ashraf Sharif Khan, Diana Baroni, Erica Lauren, Eva Klesse Quartet, Farah Baba Orchestra, Fariya Chaudhuri, Jay-C Val, Kenta Shoji, Liboi, Lucy Tasker, Madan Gopal, Mixwell, Mrs Georgiana Costea Gluga, Nawal, Ricardo Passos, Sahib Pashazade and Kamran Kerimov, Sarah Dillamore, Shireen Jawad, Sh-oomb, Tommy Hill, Veronika, Vicente, Viktor Marek and Zouratié Koné. Their participation will add beautiful rhythm and melody to the festival’s collective voice, creating moments where cultural distance fades through shared sound.
Dance remains a key element of the festival’s programme. Anisha Thai, CayenaColfolk, Don Sen, Haraka, Lapa Dance Company, Navid Rezvani and Shaam each bring their unique movement to the stage, telling stories through rhythm and movement.
Visual artists include Adjaratou Mariam Ableusi Ouedraogo, Adrián Bojko, Bubly Barna, Chifumi, Domi Forest, Halldor, Kelechi Nwaneri, King Kesia, Luis M.S. Santos, Mendrika Ratsimandresy, Niharika Momtaz, Onesmus Okamar, Sinenkosi Msomi, SubornaMorsheada, Victoria Santos and YAZ showcase culture through a distinct interpretation of identity and place, expanding the festival’s creative reach.Film is represented by Per Fikse, whose works adds a cinematic dimen-sion to the event.
The World Culture Festival 2025 shows how art strengthens connection through empathy and shared imagi-nation.
Artistic expression communicates ideas and emotions that often cannot be expressed in words. It records struggle and achievement, reflecting the human desire to create meaning and beauty. When you experience art, you take part in that conversation. You learn from difference, and you recognise shared values across cultures.
Through this gathering, the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi reaffirms the idea that culture is not a privilege but a living element of society. It shapes thought, sustains identity and supports creativity. The festival reminds audiences that art belongs to everyone and that diversity is not a division but a collective strength.
The Sound, the Stage, the Story
Moklani – The Last Mohanas: Pakistan’s Historic Win at the Nature Oscars
Moklani – The Last Moha-nas, directed and pro-duced by Jawad Sharif, has made history as the first Pakistani feature film to win at the Jackson Wild Media Awards 2025. The event, often called the “Nature Oscars”, honoursexce-llence in environmental and wildlife storytelling. The win, announced on October 2 in Jackson, Wyoming, places Pakistan on the global map of documentary cinema.
The film tells the story of the Mohana community of Manchar Lake in Sindh. Known as the “boat people” of Pakistan, the Mohanas have lived on the waters for centuries. Their lives move with the lake’s rhythm, but pollution, shrinking water levels and the loss of traditional practices now threaten their survival.
Sharif’s direction shows the beauty of Manchar Lake, revealing the fragility of both nature and culture. The film connects local realities with global environmental concerns, giving voice to marginalised communities rarely heard.
Supported by the National Geographic Society and Climate Kahani, the project blends art and advocacy to raise aware-ness of the cultural and ecolo-gical importance of Manchar Lake. Sharif said after the award, “The award belongs to the Mohana people, whose stories deserve to be seen and heard beyond borders.”
The Jackson Wild Media Awards are among the highest honours in conservation film-making. Moklani competed in the Global Voices category, which recognisesunderrep-resented perspectives.According to the official Jackson Wild website, there were over 500 submissions in 2025, reviewed by more than 200 international judges.
This recognition places Moklani alongside leading environmental documentaries worldwide and reflects Pakis-tan’s growing presence in global storytelling. It also highlights how local filmmakers are contributing to vital discussions on climate and conservation.
For Pakistan, this award signifies more than a single success. It symbolises the growth of the country’s creative industries and their confidence on the international stage.
From Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s Oscar-winning documentaries to Joyland’s global acclaim, Pakistani cinema continues to evolve. Moklani adds to this progress, proving that the nation’s filmmakers can stand among the best.
Sharif noted on his company’s website, “This award is for every Pakistani storyteller who believes that film can be a tool for empathy and change.”
His words echo a wider movement among filmmakers using documentaries to raise awareness and inspire action.Moklani’s success shows that documentary filmmaking in Pakistan is gaining ground after years of limited support.
The genre is now recognised as a strong medium for story-telling, advocacy and cultural preservation. Sharif’s earlier films, Indus Blues (2018) and K2 & The Invisible Footmen (2015) earned similar acclaim for spot-lighting indigenous art and unsung heroes. Moklaniconti-nues that mission, exploring the link between environment and identity.
The film’s strength lies in its quiet universality.
Rooted in Pakistan but understood everywhere, it documents a community’s resi-lience and humanity. More than a film, Moklani preserves the story of the Mohanas and their water-bound world for future generations, capturing their culture, struggle and hope amid environmental change.
As Pakistan expands its cultural presence globally, Moklani stands as proof of what is possible when storytelling meets purpose. It marks a defining moment for Pakistani cinema and for all those who use art to represent their communities.
The Sound, the Stage, the Story
Now Playing: Spotify Joins ChatGPT to Turn Chats into Playlists
Imagine chatting about your day and, with a few words, discovering the perfect song to match it. That’s now possible as Spotify becomes part of the ChatGPT experience, turning everyday conversations into gateways to new music.
The integration is live in English across 145 countries for ChatGPT Free, Plus and Pro users on the web and mobile app (iOS and Android). Whether you’re a Free or Premium Spotify listener, you can now explore music simply by asking for it.
Just link your Spotify account to ChatGPT and start talking. You can ask for playlist to suit your mood, favourite genre or a specific artist and, with a single tap, you’ll be listening directly in the Spotify app.
Spotify already plays across more than 2,000 devices, from cars and TVs to smart speakers and home systems. With ChatGPT, that reach extends even further, bringing music discovery into conversation. Ask for new releases, hidden gems or songs you once loved and it’s like having a personal DJ who understands what you mean, not just what you type.
For listeners, it’s a more direct way to find music. For artists, it provides a broader stage to reach new audiences.
“Spotify’s vision has always been to be everywhere you are,” said Sten Garmark, SVP, Global Head of Consumer Experience. “By bringing Spotify into ChatGPT, we’re creating a new way for fans to connect with the artists and creators they love, whenever inspiration strikes,” he added.
Importantly, Spotify has confirmed that no music, podcasts or other audio or video content will be shared with OpenAI for training purposes, ensuring artists and creators remain protected.
Music shapes how we experience moments. This collaboration makes conver-sation a bridge to sound, where every word can lead to some-thing you love. Talk about a song that takes you back or describe a sound you’ve been missing and Spotify in ChatGPT will help you find it in seconds.
The process feels effortless. Share your mood, plans or even a fleeting thought and the right track rises to meet it. It blurs the line between dialogue and discovery, letting words lead you to rhythm.
Spotify in ChatGPT trans-forms language into listening, keeping the focus on what matters: music that moves you. It’s not just technology but a conversation that feels alive and human.