Gandhara film festival brings 88 films from 35 countries to KarachiPakistan

The selected films came from countries including Pakistan, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Indonesia, Iran, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Nepal, Norway, Poland, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates and the United States. Most of the Pakistani films were in Urdu with English subtitles, while the international selection featured films in 32 foreign languages.

<h2>Hybrid model born of necessity</h2> Festival producer Beenish Umer told The Express Tribune that the hybrid format was partly a practical response to the limited availability of venues and resources for independent cinema in Pakistan. She said the organisers had received around 500 submissions from filmmakers across the country for this year&#8217;s edition.

Umer said the festival would ideally have a longer physical programme, noting that international festivals often run for a week or two, but venue limitations restricted this year&#8217;s in-person event to three days, with the remaining 60 films made available on OTT platforms.

Actor Ayesha Toor, who attended the festival on its opening day, said events like the Gandhara festival were important for showcasing both international and Pakistani independent cinema, adding that she hoped it would contribute to a wider cultural change in Karachi and Pakistan.

Since its launch in 2020, the festival&#8217;s organisers say it has showcased more than 700 independent films through online, physical and hybrid editions, offering an alternative route to audiences at a time when short films and independent productions often have limited opportunities for theatrical exhibition.