Pakistani films take center stage at SCO Film Festival in China
It is always heartening to see Pakistan and its people making big on international platforms and bringing pride to the nation. While there have been several occasions in the past that have presented a positive image of Pakistan across the globe, cultural exchanges remain at the heart of it.
For instance, multiple Pakistani films have been screened at international film festivals in the last couple of years and have also won accolades on various fronts. The newest addition to the list is the recently concluded Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Film Festival in China that took place from June 13 till June 17 in Qingdao, China, and screened some Pakistani films and invited over actors featured in those films.
Syra Shahroz, who made her debut with Chalay Thay Saath that released in April last year, took her film to the festival where it was selected for the spotlight ‘In Focus’ program. This was the first installment of the SCO Film Festival and the CTS team was invited as part of the Pakistan delegation. Besides Chalay Thay Saath, other films were shown at the festival including Bin Roye, Jawani Phir Nahi Ani, Parchi and Punjab Nahi Jaungi with stars Humayun Saeed and Mehwish Hayat, also present among the Pakistani delegates.
Punjab Nahi Jaungi bagged the special jury award that was received by the film’s lead pair, Humayun Saeed and Mehwish Hayat, who were present on the occasion.
Reflecting on the festival and sharing her gratitude on winning the trophy, Mehwish told Instep, “Ours is a very young industry and to win this major international award was amazing. Pakistan and China have always shared a very special friendship. As our countries continue to strengthen those links, we, the artist community, should look at ways in which we can also work together. China has a long cinema history and there is so much we can learn from them. China is also a very big market that even Hollywood is trying to crack and if our films are being appreciated because they represent similar cultural values, then we should capitalize on this and look to develop China as a potential market.”
She also said that it is a privilege to have represented Pakistan at the first Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Film Festival. “It was a proud moment when our film Punjab Nahi Jaungi picked up the special jury award against competition from films from 12 other nations,” she added. “This is a major honour for our fledgling industry and one that shows that we can compete with the best in the world.”
Mehwish, Syra and other Pakistani actors were part of film screenings, meet and greet sessions and panel discussions during the 5-day festival in Qingdao.
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