Int’l film festival receives 370 entries

Islamabad :Contributing to the revival of the film industry, the Asia Peace Film Festival is coming up with its Lahore Edition with ‘Global Goals-Story begins at Home’ as the theme of Lyrical Lahore on November 20-22.

According to Ashraf Kakar, director (communication and partnership) at the APFF, the festival’s third edition following Islamabad, Karachi and Quetta, has based its theme on the narrative of peace by engaging youth and mobilizing creativity. "The three-day grand event will connect creative people Lahore especially youngsters with the Asian regional creative community to celebrate the lyrical lures. The festival is meant to rejuvenate Lahore and highlight the city’s identity as a ‘syncretic centre’ of Pakistan," he told 'The News'.

Kakar said the APFF had so far received more than 370 submissions and entries in four categories of short films, animations, documentaries and music videos to compete for awards.

He said judges, participants and spectators were coming in from more than 40 Asian countries to attend the event, which would showcase more than 125 selected films in all four categories in addition to the special screenings of featured films.

“The APFF will also facilitate three sessions of policy dialogue during Film Conference as part of the Lyrical Lahore. Top of the line filmmakers, actors, experts, academicians and celebrities would brainstorm on different themes of peace, art, culture and heritage during the conference," he said.

The APFF director said the master's classes on film production on the side lines of the festival would be a promising opportunity for filmmaking students and learners from public and private universities.

"For all three days the festival’s venue Punjab Institute of Literature, Art and Culture (PILAC), Lahore would be open to the general public,” he said.

Kakar said the APFF was a multi-country consortium of film entities from Asian countries and it since its inception in 2017 had been a platform for new work from established filmmakers and discoveries from emerging voices in short film, documentary, animation and music videos.

He said initially, to commemorate the World Peace Day, the festival's 1st Edition was organised in Islamabad, while it was later held in Karachi in 2018 with the theme “KARACHI SAB KA” (Karachi-for everyone).

“Recently, the APFF Quetta Edition under the theme of “Creative Quetta” was organised. The APFF Islamabad, Karachi and Quetta editions hosted more than 75 international delegates, artists, filmmakers, directors, producers and faculty members from Asian countries and attracted a number of national celebrities and young filmmakers to benefit from a unique gathering of creative community spreading the message of peace through cinematography,” he said.