First-ever film festival planned in Quetta

Islamabad : The Asia Peace Film Festival has announced the first-ever film festival at the Baluchistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences, Quetta, from June 17 to 19.

According to convener for the Asia Peace Film Festival Quetta Edition (2019) Ashraf Kakar, the festival represents the Asian regional experimental cinema in Pakistan.

"The APFF Quetta Edition is dedicated to celebrating the creative and diverse credentials of Quetta recognising the city’s placement as a ‘cultural kaleidoscope’ of Balochistan," he told 'The News'.

Mr Kakar said Quetta was the vibrant capital of Pakistan’s largest province – Balochistan, with 44% of Pakistan's landmass and 770km long coastline.

He said being a proud custodian of 9000-years old Neolithic Mehragarh civilisation, Balochistan’s premier art of story-telling remains one of the highly acclaimed modes of creative expressions, which made storytelling a literary and musical genre as well as a cultural and entertainment event for the people at large.

"To strength the plural, diverse and inclusive identity of Quetta, the APFF will bring together a large number of filmmakers, artists, animators, performers, media wizards, parliamentarians, academics, peace activists and dynamic students of cinematography from all over the country and across Asia," he said.