Just google The Pakistani Film Industry and your search will be clogged by a familiar theme of responses; chiefly by resounding disputes of its downfall vs revival in modern times. A nation awash with so much talent and yet struggling to find its place in common households presents a paradox; an absurdity which critics have deliberated on, long and hard. With films such as Bol (2011), Waar (2013), Bin Roye (2015) and Manto (2015) garnering mass praise and critical acclaim, the industry on the outside offers a picture of reincarnation, a re-cradling of hope almost, for upcoming artists. In addition to this, Moor (2015) recognized by the Academy 2016 follows to secure Pakistan’s ticket in the arena of world talent.
And yet Lollywood is a far cry from the universal influence and sweeping appeal of both Bollywood and Hollywood, with foreign movies still occupying a major chunk of our cinema time. We continue to synchronize our dance steps to the original ‘Sheela ke Jawaani’ video to mesmerise the audience our weddings. We go on to treasure John Cusack’s boom box scene from Say Anything as the epitome of romantic gestures. We habitually sway our heads lightly to the celebrated OST- Take My Breath Away whilst enjoying a long drive with cherished friends. It’s a trend that’s growing stronger with every passing generation, and the worst part being that we actually take pride in such associations with foreign media. Reluctance to promote the national film making culture from our bungalows and kachi abadis strangles any little life left out of the struggling industry.
But reflection shows that we don’t need to look beyond borders to find beauty. We need only to look around us. The colors of aesthetics provided by our filmmakers and artists are accolades in themselves, proving that art can be found anywhere from the utmost rural of abodes to the most metropolitan of cities.
One of the hubs of this blossoming creativity is the LUMS Media Arts Society (LMA). Although situated in one of the farthest corners of Defence Lahore, LUMS with its premier film making event FiLums, (organized by LMA) encompasses a reach that successfully attracts both local and international talent, year in and year out.
With contests ranging from Short Films, Full Length, Documentaries and Animation, FiLums serves to amass worldwide film making talent surmounting boundaries of creed and language. In addition to these competitions, FiLums 2016 calls on further inspiration through its Speed Filming, Ad Making and Music Video categories. Aspiring Filmmakers can also benefit from the celebrity workshops held throughout the course of the event which officially kicks in from 12th of February and wraps up on 14th of February 2016.
Celebrities associated with the event in the past include popular names- Shamoon Abbassi, Noorie, Gohar Mumtaz, Reema, and Faisal Rehman to name a few. Moreover, since its inception, directors of many Pakistani films have used FiLums as a platform to premier their own movies; examples include Kanebaaz (2014) by Ali Sade and 7 Welcome to London (2015) by Asad Shan.
The International Film Festival FiLums prides itself in being the largest student run international film festival currently at play in Pakistan. The vivid exuberance and appreciation of artistry depicted at the event pays homage to the developing and evolving film industry, supporting it all the way in the journey of its revival. Such efforts are tantamount to the renewed enthusiasm for local film and drama. A revolution is at play here. It is forthcoming and penetrating. But for it to last and sustain, we need to embrace it fully starting with appreciating all of the modalities and intricacies of local art and film. Only then do we stand a chance at the true revival of the national film industry; a revival which in all honesty is long due and rightfully deserved.
