The London Pakistani Film Festival returns this October for its second edition
This year's programme includes Indus Echoes, Pakistan's first Sindhi-language film since 1997.
Building on the success of its inaugural edition, the London Pakistani Film Festival (LPFF) is back for its second round this year on October 11 and 12 at the Rich Mix Cinema in London’s East End.
The festival, which aims to serve as a cultural bridge between Pakistan and Britain, will be showcasing four full-length features and two short films this year.
Pakistan’s first Sindhi film in 28 years, Rahul Aijaz’s Indus Echoes will be headlining the event. A collection of stories from people living along the banks of the Indus, the film is a thoughtful exploration of the human condition, with the connection of the river and its people being a central theme. The film is rated 8.2 on IMDB and runs for 72 minutes.
Zaheer Uddin Ahmed’s crime thriller Chikkar follows Sarmad Zaman (Usman Mukhtar), a police officer investigating a horrific crime in a small town in Punjab. As he dives deeper, Zaman realises the costs associated with doing his job right after he sees his career and family on the line. The film is rated 8.4 on IMDB and has a runtime of 168 minutes.
A sci-fi film based on the Persian epic the Hamzanama, Azfar Jafri’s Umro Ayyar: A New Beginning follows a quantum physicist in Pakistan who is a descendant of the film’s namesake as he journeys into a mythical realm. The film is rated 6.9 on IMDB and runs for 135 minutes.
Egyptian-American director Peter Takla’s 40 Days isn’t exactly a Pakistani film. It’s a story about immigration in the Americas that follows a couple risking their lives in a dangerous trek to make it to the US and live the American Dream, which is definitely a theme familiar to Pakistanis. The film is rated a whopping 9.3 out of 10 on IMDB and runs for 90 minutes.
In addition to four full-length films, two short films will also be shown at LPFF, with virtual sessions with the filmmakers scheduled for after the screenings.
Saba Karim Khan’s W.R.A.P. follows the lives of three underground hip-hop artists hailing from Karachi’s Gizri, who are service workers by day and create rap music by night. The film shows how they overcome great adversity in their lives to follow their passion for music.
Aneesa Khan’s Criteria Kya Hai? follows a Pakistani-American woman whose life changes when a pair of magical glasses helps her reevaluate what it means to find real love and happiness in her world.
The LPFF was a hit in its first edition, with an extensive selection of films. The box office hit The Legend of Maula Jatt started the event off strong with a premiere on the first day, while the festival closed with a red carpet premiere of The Martial Artist with the cast in attendance on day three.
Films Gunjal, Nayab, London Nahi Jaunga and Teri Meri Kahaniyan were shown alongside an extended director’s cut of Sarmad Khoosat’s controversial yet critically acclaimed Zindagi Tamasha. The first episodes of drama serials Farrar and The Pink Shirt were also screened during the event.
The jury last year included veteran actor Hameed Sheikh, director Mehreen Jabbar, film critic and filmmaker Kamran Jawaid, cinematographer and director Farhan Alam, as well as filmmakers Raaj Rahhi, Max Shaukat, Kay Ram, Mehnaz Alavi Diwan, and Qais Quraishi.
This year’s jury has a lot of the same names, with Sheikh, Ram, Rahhi, Diwan and Qureshi reprising their roles. They will be joined by Shahrook Oomer, Adam Richards, Arif Zaffar Munsuri and Aliee Shaikh, who also serves as the event’s brand ambassador.
A project of Positive Action Through Creativity — a UK registered charity — the festival was founded by Assad Khan and co-founders Mansur Ali, Shoaib Qureshi and Kamran Jawaid, who also serve as the festival’s director. The event is a partnership of Cinema Specialists, Moringa Entertainment and Anthem Films.