Discoveries from Pakistan World Cinema

A 1960 Pakistani film directed by Nazir Ajmeri, who also produced it, and wrote its story and screenplay. It stars Shamim Ara and Ejaz.

A rollercoaster of emotions, where friendship and love collide with betrayal and heartbreak.

It's a comedy action that revolves around Karachi's situation.

Karachi, Pakistan. Iqbal, a migrant sex worker, cannot come to terms with his illness. He convinces his uncle to take a day trip to the beach, desperate for respite. The Arabian sea beckons.

The Urdu film Meri Bhabhi (1969) was directed by S.A. Hafiz.

In 1923, after British forces insult his village’s honor, Pashtun tribesman Ajab Khan Afridi leads a daring rebellion against the Raj. His quest for justice soon ignites a massive standoff that challenges the might of the British Empire on the North-West Frontier.

Noor, a 12-year-old Afghan boy, fled to Pakistan with his mother. Shortly after settling in, he met Ali, a boy of the same age who became his friend and confidant. An expulsion forces them to rush their farewells....

Loha (1990) starring Anjuman, Sultan Rahi, Mustafa Qureshi, Sitara, Babra

This documentary follows two residents of Lyari, both of whom have lost family members to police encounters. Through telling their stories, the documentary sheds light on the on-going ramifications of violence and to question whether peace has truly been achieved for the people of Lyari.

1960 pakistani film

Two expatriate Pakistani and Indian women sit and eat mangoes together and reminisce about their childhood. An otherwise touching encounter turns sour when they start comparing the range of mangoes grown in either country, a comment on the heightened sense of nostalgia and nationalism that exists in the Indian and Pakistani Diaspora. Both the women are played by the artist, stressing the idea of a shared history.

Stand Up Comedian Obi out Loud's take on his first ever fight...

HunDan - An Echo of a Dirge is the first Burushaski language feature film. Burushaski is an endangered and as per UNESCO one of the oldest living languages in Pakistan. HunDan is a poignant story that includes themes like conservation, climate change, cultural heritage, co-existence with nature and human resilience. HunDan literally means Wood & Stone and also refers to Nature as both are the basic units of Mother Nature.

A family man exhausted from the country’s inflation, decides to commit a crime for his inner will and to look after his family how he wants to. So, before that, he starts to collect virtue out of fear to equalize his crime.

On her usual running route, Farah runs into a stranger again, and again.

A mystery fantasy film starring Neelo, Mohammad Ali, Yousuf Khan, and Zamurrad, directed by Aziz Meeruti

2004 Pakistani film in the Urdu language

A high-stakes tale of loyalty and deception, where a man must navigate a web of betrayal to clear his name and protect those he loves.

After finding a mystery bullet in their school's auditorium, Adil and Dilawar begin the quest to uncover the truth but end up unfolding their past.

A glimpse in the life of a roadside mascot costume artist.

A simple, love story between a Sikh girl and a Muslim boy.

A fictional story about Palestinian struggle against the Israeli occupation of their homeland..

a romance/musical? Apparently flopped at the box office

An emotional journey of a teenage boy asking God to liberate him from his self-inflicted downfall.

It was Pakistan's one of the earliest experimental feature films. It had experimentation by the film director with the Freudian sensual themes which was very unusual for Pakistan at that time. So the film received a 'for adults only' rating. In this film, actress Komal had a really interesting foray into the parallel cinema. She portrayed the sensual play thing for actor Mohammad Ali.

A romance between a wealthy man and a woman who sells smuggled clothes turns sour.

About a young woman who enters married life only to face sever cruelty, greed, and abuse from toxic in-laws.

In this atmospheric elegy for the MTA’s MetroCard, we learn that each new technology has a “privacy tax.”

A phone call from Zain, his ex-lover from across the border in India, pulls Ali into a bittersweet spiral of memory, back to the night they met, filled with stolen intimacy, unspoken longing, and the fragile hope of connection across divided worlds.

Many strata of society, one similar quest. To find one's true self.

A 3-act split screen music video, showcasing a character navigating themes of self acceptance and letting things go.

A boy from the streets of Lahore makes a name for himself in the desi hip-hop scene and is titled "nameless". The "Top Dogs" go against him to bring him back to zero. Put down, resting, planning and plotting on how to comeback… not for people… not for revenge… but for all.

A satirical comedy film about a donkey that desires to be a human, so he prays to God to fulfill his wish. But when his prayer is actually answered and he transforms into a man, he quickly finds that his life purpose and moral duties were more meaningful and easily identifiable when he was a donkey than when he is a human being.

Set in the 15th century when Portuguese discovered Indian subcontinent, the story revolves around a man who stands against the Portuguese for the honour of his motherland.

Film is based on a person suffering from A mental health disorder in which the person chase perfection in order to get satisfied and sometimes chasing perfection led him to severe & worst consequences .

In conservative Pakistan, a photographer and his ambitious muses challenge social norms while chasing recognition and self-worth in a social media-driven world, engaging in candid conversations about culture, identity, body image, and vulnerability during a photoshoot.

After Chef Fatima Ali – fan favorite winner of Top Chef: Season 15 – faces a tragic turn of events in her life, her brother Mohammad must take up the mantle to continue her legacy of bridging cultures through food and providing the joy of it to the underprivileged in Pakistan.

King of Umarkot, is looking for a bride but finds none to his liking. Phog mentions the unmatchable beauty of Marvi. Umar decides to check out Marvi for himself and immediately falls under her spell.

In a village governed by rigid honor, two lovers find themselves trapped in a generational feud. As blood boils and rivalries sharpen, a desperate plea for peace becomes the only hope to bridge the divide between ancestral pride and a future built on mercy.

Fisherman Ayoub Sehto and his son are stranded with their family in the sinking Indus Delta, void of drinking water and fishing opportunities due to climate change, and struggle to migrate to a mainland city for a better life.

Khawaja Siras are indigenous to Pakistan and are part of its rich history and culture. Despite having faced external threats throughout history, such as the colonial rule of the British, their existence continues to this day. The documentary examines the recent political developments in Pakistan and presents the perspectives of members of the community and activists.

13 year old kid goes downstairs in his house to get a late night snack, he has no idea what is waiting there for him.......

A young man returns home to a mother from whom he ran away as a child. Since she doesn't know what he looks like, a fugitive sees the opportunity of impersonating him.

An Action Movie

Trashy Lollywood flick follows a young woman who on her wedding night, is raped by a gang of criminals. She’s then forced to endure the torment of watching her husband to-be, beaten and hung from the rafters using only her shoulders to keep him grasping onto life. When she eventually collapses he falls to his death sending her on a killing vendetta.

​A young woman named Zeenat marries the arrogant and controlling businessman, Amjad, after he seeks revenge for a past humiliation. Amjad imprisons her within their home, subjecting her to disrespect and emotional cruelty. ​Determined to teach him a painful lesson and reclaim her dignity, Zeenat devises a daring plan that results in an unexpected pregnancy. When Amjad throws her out, she vows to raise her child to avenge the injustice done to her. ​Years later, Zeenat's daughter, Sitara, who bears a striking resemblance to Amjad's other daughter, infiltrates his life under a false identity. She begins a subtle campaign of retribution, hoping to reform her estranged father and finally secure the respect her mother was denied.

On a planet close to extermination, a lone boy develops a bond with an unexpected friend.

Documentary about the 1970s Pakistani sketch show Such Gup which ran on PTV.

Rabia is put to the test when she is forced to choose between saving the life she once knew, and protecting those she loves and leaving it all behind.

The relationship between a responsible boy and his precocious younger sister becomes strained when an unspoken truth dares to surface.

A Pakistani Punjabi-language social film directed by Luqman, starring Neelo, Santosh, and Mohammad Ali, along with a large supporting cast including Lehri, Zamurrad, Nazar, and Zeenat.

The Urdu film Elaan (1967) was directed by Ashfaq Malik.