The PIFF 2025 celebrates creative empowerment, cinema, cultural heritage

KARACHI: The Pakistan International Film Festival (PIFF) 2025, organized by the Karachi Film Society (KFS), successfully concluded its first-day of the festival to commemorate World Intellectual Property Day, in collaboration with the Intellectual Property Organization (IPO) Pakistan, here, Thursday, says a Press release.
The celebration of intellectual property, cinematic excellence, and cultural storytelling drew a diverse audience of media industry professionals, academics, entertainment personalities, corporate leaders, university students, and aspiring filmmakers. Attendees commended the festival’s emphasis today on intellectual property awareness, climate storytelling, and cinematic innovation.
Day 1 of the Festival featured keynote addresses from IPO leadership, industry experts, and cultural icons, exploring the intersection of creativity, technology, and intellectual property in Pakistan’s music and arts industry. The chief guest of the day was Senior Minister and Member of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh, Sharjeel Inam Memon, while guest of honour was HUM Network’s president, Sultana Siddiqui.
Former ambassador Farukh Amil, Chairperson of IPO-Pakistan, delivered the keynote welcome address, emphasizing the importance of IP protection in fostering creativity and economic growth. Co-host Ameed Riaz, founding member of COMP, also shared his insights. Underscoring, stressing, and emphasizing the role of technology and artificial intelligence (AI) the Chairperson stressed particularly to the youth the importance of embracing and securing their IP Rights. Given these new technological challenges and opportunities, he stressed “know your music, know your film, know your IP Rights, it’s yours; own it!”
The Guest of Honor, Sultana Siddiqui, Founder of HUM TV, highlighted the role of media in preserving and promoting original creative works.
Special video messages were shared from Sylvie Forbin, Deputy Director General of WIPO, and Daren Tang, Director General of WIPO, reflecting global perspectives on copyright and the creative industries.
The first panel discussion, moderated by Mahwish Husnain (illusionist, visual artist,designer, educationist &trainer), explored the “Impact of Technology, particularly AI, on Creativity & Ownership of IP Rights in the Music Industry and Creative Arts – Local & Global Perspective.” The panelists were Dr Kashif Laeeq (Ph.D in Computer Science, associate professor, and professional trainer in Data Science), Muhammad Jawwad Paracha (Inventor, Global Technology Strategist, and program leader with 20+ patents spanning AI, IoT, and Blockchain), and Tufail Channa (director general Sindh, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA).
The second panel discussion, moderated by Syed Nasrullah, focused on “Youth, Music & Innovation – How IP Empowers the Arts and Singers’ Community to Secure Ownership and Financial Empowerment of Their Creativity.” The panelists included Arshad Mehmood, (composer, singer, and actor. He served at NAPA as director programmes and Administration for 17 years, and taught music there, and is currently still working with the young musicians he mentored there), Teymour Aslam (chief operation officer, Collective Organization of Music Rights in Pakistan, and a lawyer), Baber Sheikh(an award-winning film-maker, film director, multi-media artist, and musician), Nadeem Jaffrey (recognized as one of the pioneers in the music industry who has produced music for many of the top artistes of the country), Mohammad Ali Sheyki (veteran pop singer), Umnia J. Iftikhar (a seasoned media producer, music industry consultant, and one of Pakistan’s foremost voices in intellectual property advocacy for the arts. She is also the founder of Siren (a music and artiste management company with a soul), and co-founder of Aikman Road Studios, one of Pakistan’s leading full-service audio/video production and post facilities, offering music licensing, surround mixing, sound design, and content production services for projects across the globe.
The day culminated in live musical performances by the NAPA team and Saif Samejo and his band, showcasing a fusion of culture and intellectual property. The event also featured souvenir distribution and a networking lunch, concluding on a celebratory and action-oriented note. The ceremony ended with a vote of thanks from Taimur Aslam, Chief Operating Officer of COMP, and official closing remarks by Syed Nasrullah, Registrar of Copyright, who encouraged continuous collaboration for the growth of Pakistan’s creative sectors.
The following three days will see exclusive cinema screenings curated to highlight global storytelling and emerging voices. German Film Screening took place on June 20th, the day kicking off with a talk with PIFF & Goethe Institut, followed by the screening of two powerful German films. The first film, ‘Beyond the Blue Border’ (Jenseits der blauen Grenze, 2024) directed by Sarah Neumann, tells a gripping story of teenage friendship and escape across the Baltic Sea from East to West Germany. The second film, ‘Red Sky’ (Roter Himmel, 2023) directed by Christian Petzold, presents an emotionally intense tale of friendship, jealousy, and wildfire set against the backdrop of a scorching summer. Students from various universities are expected to participate in the screenings in large numbers.
Day 3 of the Festival will be featuring a trio of compelling German films. The first screening will be of “She Chef” (2023), directed by Melanie Liebheit and Gereon Wetzel, a culinary journey following a young Austrian woman through Europe’s Michelin-starred kitchens. Next will be “Seven Winters in Tehran” (2023), directed by Steffi Niederzoll, a poignant and chilling documentary about Reyhaneh Jabbari, a symbol of women’s resistance in Iran. The evening will culminate with the premiere of “HunDan – An Echo of a Dirge” (2025), which is the highlight of PIFF 2025.
This Burushaski-language feature film, directed by a debut regional filmmaker, marks a landmark in climate storytelling. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Hunza Valley, “HunDan” tells the poignant tale of a shepherd who, consumed by grief and rage after losing his daughter to pneumonia, kills a protected Markhor. As ancient folklore unfolds, he is haunted by ancestral spirits and overcome with remorse. Blending environmental themes with rich folklore and cultural identity, the film sparks crucial conversations about conservation and indigenous wisdom. As the first feature-length film in Burushaski, it has been praised for its stunning cinematography, original narrative, and urgent climate message.
Day 4 will feature two German films. The first screening will be of “Greetings from Mars” (Grüße vom Mars, 2024), directed by Kim Strobl, a heartwarming story of an autistic child finding purpose through space travel while adjusting to life in the countryside. The second film, “Two to One” (Zwei zu Eins, 2024), directed by Natja Brunckhorst, is a comedic exploration based on a true story, delving into life in East Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The festival will conclude with a memorable evening of Student Hours and Family Show Film Screenings, featuring ‘The Donkey King’ by Aziz Jindani and ‘Glass Worker’ by Usman Riaz, showcasing exceptional youth-centered storytelling and local animation talent.
The four-day event series is expected to draw a diverse and vibrant audience, including filmmakers, university students, industry professionals, media personnel, and celebrities, all celebrating the impact of cinema.
This year’s PIFF board, led by Sultana Siddiqui under the auspices of the Karachi Film Society, boasted an impressive lineup of notable figures, including Ameena Saiyid, Ishrat Hussain, Ronak Lakhani, Sayeda Laghari, Sirajuddin Aziz, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, and Khursheed Qureshi. Partners of PIFF 2025 included Goethe-Institut, Ticketwala, Hum TV and Hum News, Starlinks PR & Events, IPO Pakistan, YPO, and COMP.