Latest news with #SCOFilmFestival
Arab News
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Pakistani films Nayab and Deemak win top honors at SCO Film Festival in China
ISLAMABAD: Two Pakistani films, Nayab and Deemak, have won major accolades at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Film Festival in China, state-run news agency APP reported on Monday. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ The festival showcased 27 films from SCO member states, including China, Russia, Pakistan, India, and Central Asian countries. Organized to foster regional cinematic exchange, the event featured screenings, industry forums, a film technology expo, and a gala concert, with awards presented in ten categories. The SCO Film Festival first launched in 2018 and is a cultural initiative of the multilateral bloc to promote cooperation in cinema and the creative industries among member countries. 'Pakistani film Nayab and Deemak received prestigious 'Jury Special Award' and 'Best Editing Award' respectively at the colorful concluding ceremony of SCO film festival held at Chongqing, China,' Associated Press of Pakistan reported. Nayab, released in 2024, is a sports-drama centered on a young woman from Karachi, played by Yumna Zaidi, who aspires to become a professional cricketer despite intense family and societal opposition. The cast includes Fawad Khan, Javed Sheikh, and Adnan Siddiqui. The film has previously won multiple awards, including Best Foreign Film and Best First-Time Filmmaker (Feature) at the World Film Festival in Cannes, and a Special Jury Diploma at the 30th Minsk International Film Festival. 'The cinema was packed, and what truly moved me was how deeply they engaged with the film,' Nayab's director Umair Nasir Ali told APP after the film's screen at the SCO festival. 'They picked up on the layers, the emotional arcs and asked thoughtful, relevant questions that showed how closely they had followed the story.' Deemak is a psychological horror film directed by Rafay Akbar Rashdi and starring Soniya Hussyn, Faysal Quraishi, Samina Peerzada, and Bushra Ansari. Set in an aging home haunted by unexplained phenomena, the film explores family tensions and mental trauma. It became Pakistan's highest-grossing horror film when it released earlier this year, earning over Rs60 million [$211,173] in its opening week. Pakistan's film industry has seen a steady resurgence in recent years, with a new generation of filmmakers experimenting with genres from sports dramas to horror and social realism. Joyland (2022) became the first Pakistani feature to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section, and was later selected as Pakistan's official entry to the Oscars. The country has also received two Academy Award wins in the documentary short category by filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. Meanwhile, The Legend of Maula Jatt (2022) set new box office records, becoming Pakistan's highest-grossing film to date and finding global audiences with its big-budget, Punjabi-language action storytelling.
News18
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
SCO Film Festival Makes A Grand Return To China After 7 Years, Set To Kick Off In Chongqing This June
The SCO Film Festival returns to China after seven years, hosted in Chongqing from June 23 to 27, celebrating global and Chinese cinema with 12 awards. After a seven-year break, the SCO Film Festival is set to return to China, with the vibrant city of Chongqing as its host from June 23 to 27. Established in 2001 by China and Russia, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is co-organizing the event alongside the National Film Bureau and the Chongqing People's Government. This year's festival will feature a variety of film screenings and competitive sections, celebrating global and Chinese cinema alike. 2025 marks two significant milestones – the 130th anniversary of world cinema and the 120th anniversary of Chinese cinema, adding extra significance to the event. On Thursday, Sun Jiashan, an associate researcher at the Central Academy of Culture and Tourism Administration, told Global Times, 'Film exchanges, particularly co-productions, have played a vital role for all SCO countries, as they share many cultural, historical, and traditional similarities." #SCOFilmFestival is set to be held in Chongqing on June is now the world's second largest film market and Indian films have sparked multiple waves of enthusiasm in two countries could strengthen cooperation in this sector and promote mutual understanding… — Xu Feihong (@China_Amb_India) April 27, 2025 He also cited the Chinese film Xuan Zang, a biographical portrayal of the monk Xuanzang's journey to India during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), as an example of such meaningful cultural exchange. Sun shared, 'Buddhism, a common cultural heritage between China and India, constitutes a crucial cultural resource for effective communication in bilateral cultural exchange. These shared cultural heritages could provide opportunities for film cooperation between member states like China and India." 'China is now the world's second largest film market and Bollywood movies are known to the world for their unique character. There is much more space for us all to expand," said Sun. The festival will honor outstanding cinematic achievements with 12 awards, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Music, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, and a Special Jury Prize. First Published:
