Pakistan International Film Festival (PIFF)

Overview

The Pakistan International Film Festival (PIFF) is Pakistan's largest and most established film platform. Organized by the Karachi Film Society (KFS), a non-profit founded in 2017 by Sultana Siddiqui, PIFF takes place annually in Karachi, Pakistan's largest city and financial capital. The festival screens Pakistani cinema alongside international programming, with a focus on workshops, seminars, and film screenings that connect Pakistani filmmakers with global audiences.

PIFF 2025 was held June 19 to 22, 2025, across multiple venues in Karachi including the Karachi Film School in Korangi and Ocean Mall Cinepax. The festival opened with a World Intellectual Property Day program in collaboration with the Intellectual Property Organization (IPO) Pakistan and the Collective Organization for Music Rights in Pakistan (COMP). The four-day program included German film screenings in partnership with the Goethe-Institut, student hours, and the premiere of HunDan - An Echo of a Dirge (2025), the first feature-length film in the Burushaski language, set in the Hunza Valley.

A newer addition to Karachi's festival landscape is the My Karachi Film Festival (MKFF), organized by the digital platform myco. Its inaugural edition ran January 31 to February 1, 2026, at Frere Hall in Karachi, screening 34 films across competition, special screening, student film, and Stories from Quetta sections. MKFF also ran a 20-day online edition for wider access. Tickets were free, available through online registration at mykarachifilmfestival.com.

Pakistan has a modest but growing independent cinema culture. The country's film industry, historically centered in Lahore (Lollywood), has seen increasing international attention in recent years. Karachi's cosmopolitan character and its role as Pakistan's commercial and cultural capital make it the natural home for international-facing festival programming.

Key Sections

PIFF sections:

• Film Screenings - Pakistani and international films, including German film screenings in partnership with the Goethe-Institut
• Workshops and Seminars - industry panels on intellectual property, filmmaking craft, and climate storytelling. The 2025 edition featured a Special Effects Makeup workshop with international experts from Turkey
• Student Hours - dedicated screening slots for university students, with participation from multiple Karachi universities
• World Intellectual Property Day Program - a signature PIFF event commemorating WIPO Day, with panels on copyright, music rights, and creative industries
• Premiere Screenings - festival premieres of Pakistani films. The 2025 edition premiered HunDan, a climate-themed feature in the Burushaski language directed by a debut regional filmmaker

MKFF sections (2026 inaugural edition):

• Main Competition - international open call submissions. The 2026 competition included On the Mountain by Ayan Raza and The Buraq That Can't Fly by Zeed
• Special Screening - four films from different countries. Opened with the world premiere of Dance With Me by Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Safa
• Stories from Quetta - films from the Quetta Film Lab, a community initiative powered by myco that selected 20 filmmakers in Quetta, producing 10 quality films
• Student Films - short films by student filmmakers, including The Masoom Theatre, Yezzi, and Mehman
• Panel Talks - industry discussions with filmmakers including Haya Fatima Iqbal and Syra Yousuf

Submission Details

PIFF does not currently operate a standard FilmFreeway submission portal. The festival programs through partnerships with cultural institutions (Goethe-Institut, IPO Pakistan) and through direct filmmaker outreach. Filmmakers interested in screening at PIFF should contact the Karachi Film Society through piffestival.org.

MKFF operates an open call for submissions through mykarachifilmfestival.com. The inaugural 2026 edition had an open call starting December 30, 2025, accepting submissions from both experienced and student filmmakers. There is no entry fee.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For Pakistani filmmakers, PIFF is the most important domestic international platform. The festival's partnership with the Goethe-Institut brings German cinema to Karachi audiences and creates exchange opportunities. The 2025 PIFF board included notable figures such as Sultana Siddiqui (founder, HUM Network), Ameena Saiyid, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (two-time Oscar winner), and Khursheed Qureshi, providing filmmakers with access to industry decision-makers.

PIFF 2025 received support from the Sindh Government, with Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon attending the opening and committing to a dedicated budget for film initiatives. This government backing provides stability that is rare in Pakistan's film sector.

MKFF offers a different value proposition. Its free admission policy and open call make it the most accessible festival platform for emerging Pakistani filmmakers. The festival's connection to myco, a digital streaming platform, provides filmmakers with potential digital distribution alongside the physical festival screening. The 20-day online edition extends reach beyond Karachi to a national audience.

The Stories from Quetta section at MKFF highlights a regional filmmaking initiative that could serve as a model for other underrepresented areas of Pakistan. The Quetta Film Lab selected 20 filmmakers from Balochistan, produced 10 films, and brought them to the Karachi festival. This type of regional pipeline is unusual in Pakistan's film sector.

Pakistan's regulatory environment for cinema includes content review processes that filmmakers should be aware of when submitting. The Central Board of Film Censors (CBFC) applies to theatrical releases, though festival screenings typically operate with more flexibility.

Major Awards

PIFF 2018 awards (most recent documented competition):

• Best Film: Punjab Nahi Jaungi
• Best Director: Nadeem Baig for Punjab Nahi Jaungi
• Best Cinematography: Parwaaz Hai Junoon
• Best Documentary Feature: Perween Rahman - The Rebel Optimist
• Best Feature: Lala Begum by Mehreen Jabbar
• Best Short Film: Aghai Naz
• Best Documentary Short: Veil Done
• Special Award: Ali Zafar - Artist for Peace

MKFF 2026 jury awards:

• Best Film
• Special Mention
• Best Student Film
• Special Mention - Student Film
• Best Director
• Best Cinematography
• Best Editing
• Best Sound

The MKFF 2026 jury consisted of Jamshed Mahmood Raza (Jami), Asghar Ali Ghanchi, and Phil McKenzie.

Festival History

The Karachi Film Society was founded in 2017 by Sultana Siddiqui, a media executive and founder of HUM Network. PIFF launched as the society's flagship initiative, with its first major edition in 2018. The festival has run annually with the exception of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. PIFF 2018 screened films across 6 venues in Karachi, including community halls in Malir and Moach Goth, as part of a mobile screening initiative that brought films to marginalized communities.

PIFF has evolved from a purely screening-based festival to one that integrates intellectual property awareness, climate storytelling, and international cultural exchange. The partnership with the Goethe-Institut, established in recent editions, brings German cinema to Pakistani audiences and creates filmmaker exchange opportunities. The 2025 edition's premiere of HunDan, the first Burushaski-language feature film, demonstrated PIFF's role in supporting regional language cinema in Pakistan.

The My Karachi Film Festival launched in 2026 as a complementary platform with a focus on independent filmmakers and student work. Organized by myco and held at Frere Hall, a historic colonial-era landmark in central Karachi, MKFF screened 34 films in its inaugural edition. The festival was supported by the Culture Department of the Government of Sindh and attracted an audience that included both industry professionals and general public.

See Also

To calculate the return on your festival submission spending, use the Festival ROI Calculator. For South Asian cinema markets, see International Film Markets. For festival circuit planning, see Film Festival Strategy. For the My Karachi Film Festival, visit mykarachifilmfestival.com.