LAHORE: The four-day Rafi Peer International Film Festival featuring 30 award-winning movies from parallel cinema all over the world will open at Rafi Peer Cultural Complex, Raiwind Road, on Thursday (today).

It was announced in a press conference addressed by Faizan Pirzada and Usman Pirzada at Rafi Peer Cultural Complex on Wednesday.

The festival, where entry will be free, has been organised by Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop (RPTW) in collaboration with Royal Norwegian Embassy.

Faizan Pirzada said the festival would showcase a dynamic array of award-winning features, documentaries, animated films, shorts and children’s films from across the world. He said the festival jury received 60 movies out of which 30 had been selected for screening.

“There are two movies from Pakistan and four from India (in the festival)”, he said, adding the films being screened were not from mainstream cinema (commercial films). “All these films are festival movies,” he said.

He said the festival would be a must-see event, especially for the young and independent filmmakers, striving to make a place for themselves in fledgling local film industry.

“We hope for the festival to connect with and inspire our new young filmmakers, while also establishing a global platform for them to showcase their works,” he said.

He said the festival would provide an interactive platform for film students and would be traveling to various institutions in each province of the country. It aimed to stimulate and inspire young minds by exposing them to various forms of cultural expression, he added.

Hosted at the Rafi Peer Cultural Complex, the festival will also offer its audiences other ambient attractions as well, providing a great environment to share the experience of the event with family and friends.

The festival also features an exhibition of 60 vintage posters of iconic Pakistani films, besides performances on each day by different singers. On the inaugural day of the festival Rafaqat Ali Khan would perform, on the second day Sain Zahoor, while Sher Mian Dad’s performance will be held on the third day. An instrumentalist performance comprising dhol and drum fusion will be held on the fourth and final day.

The art and craft village with 11 shops would also be set up during the festival. Besides, the audience would also be able to visit the International Museum of Puppetry located at the Rafi Peer Cultural Complex.

Usman Pirzada said, “It is important to have training in art appreciation that is why it is necessary to bring in international art and films festival to the country”.

He said there was a great need to bring a lot of international cinema to Pakistan because a number of art institutions here now have film and TV departments. The young filmmakers would be benefited from such ventures, he added.