Quetta is set to hold another International film festival with the Asia Peace Film Festival. The Asia Peace Film Festival Quetta Edition (2019) will be held at at the Baluchistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences from June 17 to 19.
The convener for the festival, Ashraf Kakar, says the Creative Quetta: APFF will represent Asia’s regional experimental cinema in Pakistan. Adding that the festival celebrates the ‘cultural kaleidoscope’ of Pakistan’s largest province, Balochistan, Quetta is at the center of it all.
“The APFF Quetta Edition is dedicated to celebrating the creative and diverse credentials of Quetta recognising the city’s placement as a ‘cultural kaleidoscope’ of Balochistan,”
ALSO READ
When Chaos Leads to Art: Nazneen Baloch’s Short Film on Lyari Highlights Its Hidden Talents
Creative Quetta
Ashraf Kakar revealed that the Balochistan boasts a 9000-years old Neolithic Mehragarh civilization. Balochistan’s premier art of story-telling remains one of the highly acclaimed modes of creative expressions.
Baloch storytelling extends to the literary and musical genre, that is both cultural and entertaining. event for the people at large. The festival convener also opened up about Balochistan’s pluralism.
“To strength the plural, diverse and inclusive identity of Quetta, the APFF will bring together a large number of filmmakers, artists, animators, performers, media wizards, parliamentarians, academics, peace activists and dynamic students of cinematography from all over the country and across Asia.”
Creative Quetta: APFF aims to revive that cultural creativity of Balochistan. It recognizes Quetta’s significant placement in all this.
ALSO READ
Syed Noor Is Banking On Iranian Talent For His Next Movie
About APFF
APFF was launched in Islamabad back in 2017. With the APFF 2nd annual edition in Islamabad, a follow-up edition was organized in Karachi in 2018.
APFF 2019 line-up includes:
- screening of the shortlisted films submitted to the competition
- display of shortlisted artwork submitted by Asian artists
- discussions and interactions with some of the leading Pakistani and Asian filmmakers, directors, actors, film historians, politicians and film and media students
- training and orientation sessions specially designed for film and media students by members of Pakistani and Asian cinema fraternity
Submissions for the Creative Quetta Festival are open until June 10 in categories of short film, documentaries, animation and music video.
Entries are also open for artwork submission ‘art for peace’. The selective artworks will be exhibited during Creative Quetta: Asia Peace Film Festival Quetta Edition.
Film for Culture
APFF is not the first film festival to be held in Balochistan. In fact, it’s not even the first International film festival.
Recently some 20 aspiring film-makers participated in a short film festival organized by the Balochistan Department of Culture, Archives and Tourism.
The objective of the festival was to highlight the social, political and cultural issues of the province. Secretary for Department of Culture, Archives and Tourism, Ali Zafar Buledi was the chief guest at the event.
ALSO READ
This American Blogger Says Pakistan Is Not An Easy Country to Travel In And We Share Her Concerns
The chief guest stressed the importance of culture and identity.
“Culture is the identity of any nation or society. Nations in every age have made efforts to promote their culture.”
