The opening ceremony of the Pakistan International Film Festival was held at the Karachi Film School, with Sindh’s Senior Minister and Provincial Minister for Information, Transport, and Mass Transit, Sharjeel Inam Memon, attending as the chief guest. Upon his arrival, he was warmly welcomed by the President of the Film Festival, Sultana Siddiqui, the organizers, and prominent figures from the media and entertainment industry.
Films from several countries, including Pakistan, China, and Germany, will be screened at the festival. On this occasion, an important dialogue on Intellectual Property Rights in the film industry was also organized.
Addressing the ceremony, Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that, unfortunately, both society and successive governments have consistently overlooked the critical issue of intellectual property rights. He emphasized that existing laws in this regard must be enforced more strictly. He noted that when the copyrights of creative works are not protected, they are easily stolen, which demoralizes artists and creators.
Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that intellectual property rights should be included in the curriculum to raise awareness among children and youth about the importance of protecting ideas and creative works. He added that the Sindh government began efforts last year to support filmmaking, and filmmakers are being encouraged to promote Pakistan’s national narrative across the globe.
He said that more than a hundred films are being produced in India on the India-Pakistan war to reinforce a false narrative, but India can only win such wars in films – not in reality.
He said that the Indian media has consistently propagated false narratives in an aggressive manner, whereas we need to promote the true narrative of Pakistan across the world.
Sultana Siddiqui said that the youth need to be trained in new technologies and the field of filmmaking so they can fully express their creative talents. She added that the participation of key industry figures in the film society is encouraging, and through films, we can present our national narrative to the world. She also praised the Pakistani media for showing commendable restraint during the recent Pakistan-India tensions.
Festival director Misbah Khalid said that today marks the first day of the Pakistan International Film Festival, and their goal is to provide opportunities for the youth. He appealed to the government to support their efforts.
Farrukh Amil, head of the Pakistan Intellectual Property Authority, said that Pakistan is a multicultural and multi-artistic country, and the film festival is an excellent platform to showcase our cultural identity. He emphasized that awareness about copyrights is crucial for those involved in the fine arts, and the authority is working on amendments to the laws in this regard.
Farrukh Amil, referring to the Lal Shahbaz Qalandar festival and the handicrafts showcased there, said that such cultural heritage should also be granted copyright protection. He added that with the rise of AI and digital technologies, the importance of ownership rights for artistic works has increased more than ever before.
Hameed Riaz, CEO of AMI Music, said that although films and songs are being produced in Pakistan, insufficient attention is being given to copyrights, which is harming our artists.