March 14, 2008	Friday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 5, 1429

NEW YORK, March 13: A Pakistani feature film ‘‘Ramchand Pakistani’’ would have its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival (TFF) which opens in New York City next month (April 23, May 5), the festival committee announced on Tuesday.

Directed by Mehreen Jabbar, written by Mohammad Ahmed, ‘’Ramchand’’ is based on actual events, about a young Pakistani boy who, with his father, inadvertently crosses the border into India. Both languished in jail for years, while mother (Nandita Das) is left bewildered and alone.

A documentary film “Donkey in Lahore” from Australia directed by Faramarz K-Rahber will have its North American Premiere also . It is billed as “an unusual love story that follows the quixotic courtship of Brian, an ex-goth puppeteer from Australia, and Amber, the traditional Muslim girl he met and fell in love with in Pakistan.

The Tribeca film festival was founded by veteran actor/film maker Robert

Deniro and Jane Rosenthal.

Touting a “streamlined selection” of 122 feature films, festival organisers are boasting 55 world premieres, 10 international premieres, 26 North

American premieres, and 8 US premieres this year. A dozen narrative and documentary titles are set for the two international competition sections, while 21 titles will screen in the festival’s Encounters section.

“Each year the festival’s programming team sets out to bring together a community of film makers from around the world and around the corner to share their artistic visions and stories with our international audiences and industry,” said co-founder Jane Rosenthal. “This year’s festival is a quintessential reflection of our world.”