LAHORE, Oct 30: A three-day four-nation cultural festival featuring film, documentaries and paintings from Pakistan, Iran, Turkey and China will open at the Alhamra Art Center, The Mall, on Nov 5.

The preparations are in full swing at Alhamra where stage is being set for the show.

In this connection, special assignments have been assigned to different officers of Lahore Arts Council.The festival will be a unique opportunity to have a look on culture, landscape and people of the participating countries through different genres of art including performing and fine arts.

The festival with the theme “Step toward cultural fusion” is being organised by the Global Cultural and Heritage Foundation, in collaboration with Ministry of Culture, Punjab and Iranian Cultural Centre. It will be inaugurated by the chief minister.

On the first day, representatives of participating countries will read their papers focusing on the very theme of the festival, while short documentaries on cultural and social norms of these nations will also be screened.

From Nov 6 onwards there will be screenings of films from Pakistan, Iran, Turkey and China and two films from each country will be shown everyday. Pakistani filmmakers, artistes and other cinema stakeholders are also expected to attend these screenings.

The final day of the festival will also feature a grand exhibition of artworks comprising pieces of calligraphy and photographs depicting culture, people, values and landscape of the participating countries. Three visiting artists from Iran will also paint live during the exhibition.

The ambassadors of the participating countries are also expected to visit the high-profile cultural activity.

A member of the festival organising committee, Ali Rizvi, told Dawn the basic aim of the activity was to bring the participating countries closer.

Exhibition: A group exhibition of paintings and miniatures by four National College of Arts students will open at Alhamra Art Center, The Mall, on Nov 5.

These third-year students of Fine Arts Department will put on display their fresh works. The artists are Aroosha Khalil, Momina Muhammad, Raheem Baloch and Shahid.

Each artist will put on display six artworks which will be on sale.

The exhibition will continue for a week.