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British High Commission hosts Short Film Competition Awards Ceremony

The competition, organised by the British High Commission, invited aspiring filmmakers from across Pakistan to creatively interpret the theme of ‘Celebrating Connections between the UK and Pakistan’.

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BHC-Film Competition

The ‘UK-Pakistan Celebrating Connections’ Short Film Competition concluded this evening with a red carpet awards ceremony hosted by the Acting British High Commissioner, Alison Blake.

The competition, organised by the British High Commission, invited aspiring filmmakers from across Pakistan to creatively interpret the theme of ‘Celebrating Connections between the UK and Pakistan’. Entries were received not only from Pakistan’s main metropolises, but also from cities including Haripur, Jacobabad, Jamshoro, Kotri, Muzaffarabad and Faisalabad.

A shortlist of five films were selected by a panel of judges consisting of renowned Pakistani and British media personalities: veteran actor and Chairperson of Hunerkada College of Visual and Performing Arts, Jamal Shah; and BBC News’ Pakistan Correspondent, Aleem Maqbool.

High profile filmmakers, media enthusiasts, artists and diplomats from across the country attended the ceremony to view the screening of all five shortlisted entries.

Congratulating the winners for their hard work and highlighting the re-emergence of Pakistani cinema, the Acting British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Alison Blake said:

I am delighted to host this awards ceremony. This evening’s event celebrates the connections which tie the UK and Pakistan together and highlights the budding talent of up-and-coming young Pakistani filmmakers. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching their interpretations of the competition’s theme, ‘Celebrating Connections’. As this evening’s screenings have shown, Britons’ and Pakistanis’ lives are connected through travel and trade, family and culture, history and food, and beyond.

The overwhelming response we received for this competition is another indicator of the strong resurgence of interest in Pakistani film. My colleagues and I wish this evening’s finalists all the very best in achieving their dreams in the film industry. We look forward to seeing their future films, like ‘Zinda Baag’, shortlisted for the Best Foreign Language category at the Oscars and more Pakistani film makers join Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy in winning an Oscar for Pakistan!

Published 13 January 2014