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    FILUMS: Hazaaron Kahaaniyan Ek FILUMS

    Written by: Mahnaz Shujrah
    Posted on: April 01, 2022 | | 中文

    Wajahat Rauf, Ali Rehman, Hania Aamir and Shazia Wajahat Rauf promoting their upcoming film 'Parde Main Rehne Dou'

    FILUMS is an international film festival hosted by LUMS Media Arts Society (LMA) for more than a decade now. The 11th rendition of the event took place this week at Alhamra, Mall Road from March 29th to 30th. After two years of lockdown and restrictions, the film festival came back with a bang, bringing together artists, celebrities and fans.

    Audience in Alhamra Hall

    The two-day event was spread in a manner where films were being screened during the first half of the day, followed by film-making related workshops by established individuals: such as Umar Riaz, Biya Shadhab, Adeel Hashmi, Nirmal Bano and Muhammad Ali. The evening consisted of large scale meet and greet the cast for upcoming film promotions. The films being promoted at FILUMS included Barwaan Khiladi, Dam Mastam, Inspector Bulla, and the much-awaited Parde Main Rehne Do, starring Hania Aamir and Ali Rehman. Social events were also central to the festival, and there were performances by Sultans the Band, Karak Khel, Awais Ali and a concert by Young Stunners. The event this year was different in this respect that it included multiple art forms and mediums of expression, for instance the performance by The Colony and a stand-up comedy session.

    Young Stunners

    Whilst social events are an enjoyable part of the event, the core element of a film festival remain the film submissions. There were multiple categories open for both local and international submissions: Short Film, Animation, Short Documentary, Long Documentary, Music Video and Feature Film. The external judges for the event were Mo Naqvi (Mohammad Ali Naqvi), Arafat Mazhar, Hamza Bangash and Jawad Sharif.

    Co-Directors of the Technical department of FILUMS, Adil Rahim and Raahim Nadeem, shared details about the variety of films submitted. “We received approximately 400 submissions, out of which two-third were international submissions, including 20 to 25 feature films. Sheer Qorma (2021), a qualifying film for the BAFTA Film Awards, was also submitted to FILUMS. Additionally, we were pleased to receive a lot of submissions from Iran, which is producing world class cinema, and their submissions reflected the depth and maturity of their craft”

    After the internal and external shortlisting process, around twenty films were selected for screening at the festival, which were then sent to the censor board for clearance. Pakistan generally has relatively conservative censorship norms, but luckily the films made it through the process smoothly. The co-directors shared some of the films which caught the attention of the judges, as well as the audience. Amongst these was “SSHH”, a film based around the taboo topic of harassment, and it received a genuine response from the audience. It is directed by Saad Raheel Khan and animated by Aghna Aftab. On the other hand, a captivating film which caught my attention was “Sensual Pill”. It is a work of high art, which encapsulates the theme of decay and progression of civilization. Sensual Pill was a Greek submission in the animated short category, made by a creator known as “Sam3” through images captured completely on Google Earth Pro, with a duration of approximately four minutes.

    Children of Wild Orchid, directed by Farshad Mohammadi

    A unanimous favorite from the festival submissions was “Children of Wild Orchid”, a short film about child labor and the internal lives of children from poverty-ridden communities. It was directed by Farshad Mohammadi, a well-known DOP (director of photography) who has worked with some of Iran’s biggest filmmakers. Another noteworthy submission, which won the award for Best Short Film- Local, was “Parwaz Dar Shab” (Flying in Darkness). Directed by Safar Ali Danish, the film is about a young, orphaned girl trying to run a vegetable stall by herself in Quetta. Raahim Nadeem talked about one of his favorite films at the festival, “Miniaturist of Junagadh”, starring Naseeruddin Shah and Rasika Dugal. “The film is set during the time of Partition, and the presentation of the story is very original, while the cinematography and sound design of the film is of a high quality.”

    Parwaz Dar Shab, a film directed by Safar Ali Danish and 'The Miniaturist of Junagadh', a film by Kaushal Oza

    During the session, “Lights, Camera…Music: An Exploration of Music Video Sets”, I found the insights shared by Hamza Bin Tahir and Umer Farooq very valuable. Tahir, an NCA graduate, shared his career path as a filmmaker. He discussed how five years ago, he was a participant at FILUMS, and his film La Haasil won the awards that year. While today he was participating in the same event as a panelist, having worked with some of the most popular artists, bands, and brands. He is constantly exploring new avenues and encouraged the audience to do the same. “I’m now delving into sound design and engineering, because the deeper you go into film-making, the more you realize that half of the film experience is sound.” Umer Farooq also added to this, and said that as a singer and musician, he realized the value of music videos as a medium of creative expression. Music videos are often overlooked by aspiring film-makers, but the panelists urged enthusiasts to take this platform more seriously, for it allows one to find a distinctive voice and allows room for versatility.

    Umer Farooq and Hamza Bin Tahir

    The convenor of FILUMS, Ariana Kamal, a third-year English major at LUMS, discussed how there were countless challenges of planning such a large-scale, student-led event after two years of everything being online. “Our team did not have the experience of executing events in person due to the lockdown, but we didn’t let that become a hurdle. We instead used the pandemic as a learning experience and altered our marketing and promotions strategies. The era of Covid-19 has taught us that anything is possible and within reach, so we used the experience we gained in online networking to our advantage.” She found that creative industries and people flourish through exposure and collaboration. “Despite all our differences, the one thing bounding us together was our love for film.” The FILUMS team plans to hold interactive workshops and sessions round the year to keep the momentum of the event going, besides the two-day event of the festival, and hope to make films and film-making more accessible and inclusive.

    Sensual Pill


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021









    Video message by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed on Black Day of Indian Occupation of Kashmir



    Video message by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed on Black Day of Indian Occupation of Kashmir, 27 October 1947, when Indian military troops forcibly occupied Kashmir illegally, claiming a fraudulent ‘Instrument of Accession’ which never existed as documented by eminent British historian Alastair Lamb! Kashmir & Palestine are examples of illegal occupation & continued Resistance to Repression! There are so many commonalities in Kashmir & Palestine: both under brutal military occupation of foreign powers, both are facing an indigenous, popular, spontaneous & widespread Resistance & Uprising, both are in violation of UN Resolutions which haven’t been implemented, both are witnessing an attempted change in the demographic balance, both are facing the use of rape as a weapon of war, both are testimony to double-standards & hypocrisy of Western powers on human rights & fundamental rights, and both conflicts have an element of racism and Islamophobia, while enduring peace, security and stability will remain elusive in both regions, South Asia & Middle East, until these issues are resolved in accordance with popular aspirations.