Karachi film fest attracts movies from 35 countries

The films selected for the 2026 edition represent 35 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. The in-person programme includes nine Pakistani short films and 19 international short films.

The online selection includes seven feature films, 25 international shorts and 28 Pakistani shorts. For GIFF Festival Producer Beenish Umer, the hybrid format is partly a practical response to the limited availability of venues and resources for independent cinema in Pakistan.

Speaking with The Express Tribune Umer said, "This is the seventh edition of the festival, which is held annually around this time of the year. This year, it is a hybrid festival, with 28 Pakistani and international films being screened at NAPA over three days, from October 2 to 4".

She said the festival would ideally have a longer physical programme, but venue limitations made that difficult. "There are another 60 films available on OTT platforms. This is mainly because we have limited venues and resources, so we could not book a venue for the entire week," she said.

"Ideally, all the films should be screened at the festival. International festivals often run for a week or even two weeks, but given what we could manage on the ground, three days was what we could do this year.

"The festival's organisers say its hybrid model has allowed GIFF to continue expanding its reach beyond a physical venue. Since its launch in 2020, the festival has showcased more than 700 independent films through online, physical and hybrid editions.

This year's selection also reflects the number of filmmakers seeking platforms for independent work in Pakistan., the festival received around 500 submissions from filmmakers across Pakistan for this year's edition. "We received around 500 film submissions from different parts of the country from filmmakers who wanted to participate in the festival," she said.

Actor Ayesha Toor, who attended the festival on its opening day, said events such as GIFF were important for creating opportunities to showcase both international and Pakistani independent cinema. "I feel very good because such events should take place.

I don't know where the Pakistani film industry is going, but we can show international films and we can show local independent films,"She also highlighted the response from audiences at the festival and said she hoped GIFF would contribute to a wider cultural change in Karachi and Pakistan.

"I'm very hopeful that the Gandhara Film Festival will make that difference, will bring the change that we need in the cultural scene in Karachi and in Pakistan," she said. The final selection includes films from a wide range of countries and filmmaking backgrounds.

Most of the Pakistani films in the programme are in Urdu with English subtitles, while the international selection includes films in 32 foreign languages. The festival's physical programme is being hosted at NAPA in Karachi, while the online selection allows viewers to access a larger number of films beyond the three-day physical event.

For independent filmmakers, festivals such as GIFF can provide an alternative route to audiences at a time when short films and independent productions often have limited opportunities for theatrical exhibition.