6th Edition of Women International Film Festival returns to Islamabad

Islamabad: The opening ceremony of Women International Film Festival (WIFF) took place on 8th March 2022, celebrating the International Women’s Day alongside.

The event took place at the Serena Hotel Islamabad, with the support of the Embassy of France in Pakistan, theEmbassy of the Federal Republic of Germany Islamabad, British Council, and Serena Hotel Islamabad, with FM89 as our official radio partner.

Nicolas Galey, Ambassador of France to Pakistan, and Excellency Bernhard Schlagheck, the Ambassador of Germany to Pakistanattended the ceremony and commended the efforts of Women Through Film and its founder & curator, Madeeha Raza.

In addition to the opening remarks, Arab Blues – a French feature film was screened. The film follows a woman who after years abroad in Paris, returns home to Tunis with the dream of opening up her own psychotherapy practice. The director – Ms. ManeleLabidi herself was also present virtually for a Q&A session following the screening.

The film festival runs from March 8th to 13th, with intercity screenings in Faisalabad and Peshawar, and public screeningsset to take place on the 11th and 12th March at the PNCA Islamabad. This year the festival is screening 14 films made by women from all over the world, including three films by Pakistani filmmakers, namely The Mirage City by Areeba Imran, Mrs. Khanby Mariam Majid and Teddy 2.0 by Fatima Butt. Besides these films, the festival will also feature films received from Australia, Egypt, Estonia, France, India, Iran, Mexico, and Russia.

Two feature length films – It is Not Over Yet in collaboration with the Royal Danish Embassy, and Fly Away Home in collaboration with the Austrian embassy, will also be showcased. The latter will screen on the closing day on March 13th.

Over the years, WIFF has aimed to fill the gender gap in film, besides widening appreciation for independent cinema, by creating a platform for diverse storytellers from all over the world. The overarching aim is to promote female filmmakers by building and uniting the next wave of talent and connecting the film community. It is evident that we need more such opportunities for women so they can take their stories to the screen and share with the community.

Women Through Film, the curating entity for WIFF, is a Pakistan based initiative trying to encourage and facilitate young girls and women to use self-expression, storytelling, andfiction through filmmaking to raise their voice and create social change. It is an initiative to celebrate the success stories, struggles, and achievements of inspiring women from all walks of life. We aim to create an army of vocal, confident, fearless, and economically independent female filmmakers who can tell stories about issues that affect them, using film and other interactive media.