Women International Film Festival held to empower women filmmakers in Islamabad

Islamabad – The 8th edition of the Women International Film Festival (WIFF) ended on Sunday, the two-day event, which commenced on March 2 at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA).

The festival opened with two days of public screenings at the PNCA with the support of the Embassy of Spain in Pakistan, the French Embassy, the Embassy of Germany in Islamabad, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, and the British Council.

With more than 1,300 submissions this year, the two-day event showcased 31 short and feature-length films received from the UK, Iran, France, Germany, Ukraine, Spain, Lebanon, Egypt, Russia, Estonia, Poland, Japan, Mexico, Italy, Canada, Chile, Turkey, and Argentina, out of which five films made by Pakistani filmmakers, Hum Awaaz, Made with Love, Prolific Hustling, Woman of
Courage and 10 more minutes were also showcased.

Judged by a jury panel comprising esteemed filmmakers; Mehreen Jabbar, Usman Mukhtar, and Marya Javed, the Best Film award, worth 350 Euros through anonymous donation, went to the film Paris Bruxelles by Marjorie Lhomme from France.

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With the support of the British Council, the Best Pakistani Film Award of Rs100,000 went to Made with Love by Kainat Thebo.

Women Through Film this year also re-launched Parwaaz Fil Lab which took place over the same two days with participants from all over Pakistan.

It was led by renowned Spanish filmmaker Elena Molina, director of the acclaimed “Remember My Name,” alongside the insightful contributions of guest speaker and British Pakistani film director Annusheh Rahim.

After its two days screening at PNCA, the film festival will continue with four days of intracity screenings at Fatima Jinnah Women University for a campus screening, the Black Box Sounds for the Ukrainian Films Sidebar, Alliance Française d’Islamabad for the French and Pakistani Films Sidebar, and a closing reception with film screenings at the Residence of Spain.

Over the years, WIFF has aimed to fill the gender gap in film, besides widening appreciation for independent cinema by creating a platform for diverse storytellers from all over the world. The overarching aim is to promote female filmmakers by building and uniting the next wave of talent and connecting the film community.

The festival is organized by Women Through Film which is a Pakistan-based initiative trying to encourage and facilitate young girls and women to use self-expression, storytelling, and fiction through filmmaking. It is an initiative to celebrate the success stories, struggles, and achievements of inspiring women from all walks of life.