PNCA plans to set up film academy

Islamabad : The Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) has planned to establish a film academy to promote new art and cultural talent in the country for quality productions.

“Quality film production and other art and cultural activities while engaging the new talent will promote the positive image of Pakistan internationally,” PNCA director general Dr Fozia Saeed told an online conference organised by the council with the representatives of the nationwide art councils in attendance.

The event held using a digital platform due to the current coronavirus outbreak was meant to discuss ways and means to revive cultural activities in the post-pandemic situation especially through cultural and creative content.

The directors of arts councils from Faisalabad, Skardu, Hunza, Gwadar, Khairpur and many other areas in the country.

The PNCA chief said since COVID-19 broke out in the country early last year, the council had been helping address the paradoxical situation faced by people socially, psychologically and z and economic issues.

“The PNCA, a public-owned enterprise for promotion of art and culture, has anticipated promoting a positive image of Pakistan internationally through art and culture across the country,” she said.

Dr Fozia said Pakistani society should be brought back to life through cultural activities.

“Economic indicators predict that the cultural sector is one of the most affected by the pandemic and probably one of the slowest ones to recover since the outbreak of COVID-19,” she said.

She appreciated the role of art councils to resume cultural activities during the pandemic and said a master calendar of cultural activities at the national level should be developed.

The PNCA chief said the council would use all available resources to promote culture in collaboration of the countrywide art councils.

“In the post-pandemic era, all cultural activities, including theatre, drama, musical, painting, calligraphy events, and festivals will be organised under the umbrella of the designed theme, Indus Valley Today—Celebrating Pakistan,” she said.

Dr Fouzia appreciated the suggestions for the holding of cultural and seasonal festivals, preservation and digitization of music and film records, talent hunting, protection of art and culture archives, encouragement of visual art, and formation of an art and culture committee comprising representatives of all four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and the federation.

She promised to help the art council from Balochistan connect with the provincial government.

Zulfar Ali Zulfi of the Lahore Arts Council appreciated the PNCA efforts for the promotion of art and culture in the country and suggested that the next conference be held in Lahore.

The participants recommended that a committee be notified for following up on the issues raised by them.

The webinar was attended by Mustafa Kamal from Balochistan, Zahid Iqbal of Faisalabad Art Council, Tahir Mehmood from Multan Art Council, Muhammad Saleem Qaiser and Imtiaz Hussain from Gilgit-Baltistan, Noreen Fatima from Mehran Art Council Sindh, Waqar Ahmed from Rawalpindi Art Council, Dr Riaz Hamdani from Sahiwal Art Council, Rehmat Ali Khan from GB district of Ghizr, Ali Kazim from Skardu, and Ghulam Abbas from Sargodha Art Council.