Film buffs across Pakistan will have the experience of a lifetime yet again to relish unique, never-before-seen films from all over Europe at the 3rd European Film Festival (EUFF) 2024, commencing on May 15 at the Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA) in Islamabad, followed by Peshawar, Quetta and Gujrat between and May 16 to May 29. 

The film festival will showcase over 20 films from European Union member states of diverse genres, from comedy to thrillers, from documentary to fiction, based on wide-ranging themes such as family, childhood, romance, friendship, climate change, history, war, economic hardship, human rights, disability, as well as a few equally exciting Pakistani short films by emerging filmmakers and studios. Each film included in the festival is carefully handpicked to cater to an audience with an appetite for stories with a global appeal, and for vicarious pleasure in film watching. EUFF 2024 will provide a golden opportunity for Pakistani audiences to rediscover Europe, its rich and diversified culture, and its modern and adaptive societies.   

The film screenings will be followed by interesting panel discussions in each city which will bring the audience face to face with some of the best names from the Pakistani film and television industry, be it filmmakers, writers or actors, who will deliberate about topics of interest and relevance to the public which can be addressed through the medium of visual storytelling. In Islamabad, renowned playwright Bee Gul, brilliant actor Sarwat Gilani, and rising star Ali Junejo will shed light on how the world can be viewed through films and the importance of gaining a global perspective. The discussion will be moderated by celebrated presenter Omar Khalid Butt. Other prominent personalities will also join the festival, with Zafar Mairaj, Haya Fatima Iqbal and Dr Quratulain Bakhteari participating in Quetta, Irfan Khoosat, Tamkenat Mansoor and Faseeh Bari Khan in Gujrat, and Tazeen Hussain, Tazeen Bari, Saim Sadiq and Kanwal Khoosat in Peshawar.

The festival also brings with it, in each city, a masterclass titled “Decoding European Cinema” by none other than the budding filmmaker, writer and actor Ali Junejo. The masterclass is open and free for aspiring and practicing filmmakers, to help improve the understanding of world cinema and professional capacity building in the local film industry.

Other interesting features of the EUFF 2024 are interactive installations to satisfy the recreational appetite of the audience, and a range of food stalls to satisfy physical hunger. 

EUFF 2024 is open and free for the public, and will be held on the following dates at these venues:

• May 15: Pakistan National Council of Arts, Islamabad
• May 17: Iqra National University, Peshawar
• May 23: Noori Naseer Khan Cultural Complex, Quetta,
• May 29: University of Gujrat, Gujrat

EUFF 2024 is curated and organised by Olomopolo Media, a leading platform for cultural and creative expression through performing arts and visual media as tools for social awareness, sensitisation, and advocacy, with the aim to create room for collective ethical development and socio-cultural sophistication.

Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments.