The most awaited and the first-ever Pakistani film festival kicked off on Friday with a largely attended red carpet reception at the UN Headquarters in New York in the presence of some of the most prominent Pakistani stars, ambassadors accredited to the UN, community members, media and movie buffs. The stars included Mahira Khan, Adeel Hussain, Shehryar Munawar, Tooba Siddiqui, Mawra Hocane, Saba Qamar, Yasir Hussain, Nabeel Qureshi, Asim Raza, Sanam Saeed, Jerjees Seja, Afia Serena Nathaniel and Mehreen Jabbar and some other prominent producers and directors as well. Women held the spotlight at the red carpet in the presence of the ‘First Lady of the Silver Screen’ from the 1950s to the 1960s – Sabiha Khanum – accompanied by her granddaughter Sehrish Khan – the current title holder of Ms Pakistan, USA and at present working on two Pakistani films that are to release in 2017. Sabiha Khanum was met with immense applause by everyone when Ambassador Lodhi introduced her. UN Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson, who was the chief guest, congratulated the Pakistan Mission to the UN for organising the two-day festival that will showcase at Asia Society top-rated Pakistani movies over the weekend, saying, “Cultural events such as this one played a key role in promoting better understanding among people of the world. Art, film and music build bridges across cultures and promote peace through inter-cultural understanding.” Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Nations Maleeha Lodhi, who took the initiative to hold the festival, read out a welcome address, saying the films from Pakistan will convey the energy that defines today’s Pakistan. Ambassador Lodhi told the gathering that the festival was organised to both acknowledge the remarkable revival of Pakistan’s cinema and to showcase and celebrate it. She further said, “This revival has been spearheaded by a new wave of young filmmakers and actors; they have produced a devise array of movies that have been pushing the boundaries and charting and breaking new grounds by tackling bold themes and using digital technology.” The festival will continue for two more exciting days. The films to be screened include two brand new ones, which will premiere in New York, ‘Dobara Phir Se’ and ‘Lahore Say Agay’. Others will include ‘Actor-in-Law’, Pakistan’s Oscar nomination ‘Mah-e-Mir’, Oscar award winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s animated film ‘3 Bahadur’, ‘Dukhtar’, ‘Dance Kahani’ and ‘Ho Mann Jahan’.