Ceremonies, screenings, dinners, awards and what not. This is all coming with LUMS International Film Festival (FiLUMS) 2013, due to start on coming Friday — 8th February. FiLUMS is a source to a big boost to the local film talent having its unique significance given the troubled times on the local film industry. The festival not only gives a chance to the industry cadre to meet at a vibrant platform and discuss the industry issues, but also provides an opportunity to the up and coming film lot of the country to display its work and talent.
Undeniably the biggest student-organised film festival in Pakistan, FiLUMS is all set to have its 7th edition commencing from this Friday (tomorrow). The three-day event (8th, 9th and 10th February) would see the screenings of many local and international documentaries, short films and short feature films along with the exclusive premiers of the two long-awaited upcoming feature films of Pakistan.
The tone will be set right from first day with the exclusive premiere of upcoming film, Fatima. Starring Sana Humayun along with the industry veteran Ayesha Khan Riyasat, Fatima, not too long ago, was surrounded by certain controversies regarding the credentials of its director Sean Ali and the expected fate of the film. Leaving all such controversies behind, the film is finally here, ready to be scrutinised by a very critical audience and jury.
The real boost to the festival however, would come from the second day screening of highly anticipated and internationally praised upcoming Pakistani indie-feature film Seedlings (Lamha).
Already been screened at various internationally acclaimed film festivals and winning the two prestigious awards at New York City International Film Festival (NYCIFF) for being the Best Feature Film (Audience Choice) and Best Lead actress–Aamina Sheikh, Seedlings, directed by Mansoor Mujahid and starring Mohib Mirza and Aamina Sheikh will once again look to be praised and hopefully bag some awards.
Updating the status about their entry to FiLUMS, the Seendlings gang wrote, “While Seedlings continues to be an award-winning film that has been showcased at film festivals around the world, our one and only aim has always been to bring this to Pakistani audiences at home. Hence, we are thrilled to be the feature presentation at FilLUMS where we get to show this film in our own country and to the people who matter.”
The third day would be most interesting with some more screenings, dinner and then finally the ‘Awards’. An other interesting feature of this festival day would be the screening of short film, Blue Veins. Produced by Wajahat Kazmi and directed by Z-Shan Kazmi, The Blue Veins has been creating a lot of buzz these days. Not much is known about the short film but the plot outline section on its official Facebook page reads, “A poet who lived in a world of fantasies and a girl in his dream, who was as beautiful as his creativity. The blue veins of her white hands, which he related to the blue sapphire on the white snow.”
Besides all the screenings and cast-audience meet-ups, the veteran Pakistani director Shehzad Rafique, actor/model Nabeel Khan (Love Mein Ghum) and Z-Shan Kazmi of The Dusk and Blue Veins, will conduct several workshops for the audience regarding films and subjects related to their technicalities. Not only this, Shehzad Rafique; for the time ever and exclusively for the audience at festival, will give a look into the two song videos from his upcoming film Ishq Khuda.
The jury consisting Seemi Raheel, Bilal Lashari, Juggan Kazim, Saleem Sheikh, Behroz Sabzwari, Z-Shan Kazmi and Meekal Zulfiqar would be there insuring the best among all get pass through the immense competition.
Galaxy Lollywood through its deep inside sources has also come to know of a planned skype session with someone we all know and love to hate.
This festival is no doubt the need of an hour, specially when one looks at the not so bright state of the Pakistan film industry currently. We hope this festival would give enough recognition to the young film generation of the country that they promise to take the future of the industry in their hands and give it a new direction, a direction towards prosperity.
