Pakistani cinema scores triple triumph at Jaipur festival amid uncertainty

KARACHI: Pakistani cinema has notched a major international milestone, earning three official nominations for the 18th Jaipur International Film Festival (JIFF) 2026, set to take place in New Delhi next February.

According to the festival’s selection list, the Pakistani films were chosen from 1,785 global submissions representing 78 countries, securing places among just 221 official nominees.

Leading the lineup is the feature fiction film "Jameela," directed by Zainab Malik and Mina Isabella Jafri Malik, which has been selected for one of the festival’s most prestigious long-form narrative categories.

In the Documentary Short category, Saba Karim Khan’s "W.R.A.P. (We Really Are Pakistani)" will be screened, offering, as the director describes it through the film itself, an intimate exploration of the vibrant street art and hip-hop culture emerging from Karachi’s Gizri neighbourhood.

The Short Fiction slate features the 15-minute Urdu film "House of Rain," directed by Abrahim Iqbal Khan, a recent LUMS graduate. Set during Lahore’s monsoon season, the film follows two sisters who discover a collection of drenched old photographs and begin reenacting scenes from their late mother’s life in what becomes a surreal game of imitation.

Despite the celebratory mood, uncertainty looms over whether the filmmakers will be able to attend the festival in person. With ongoing diplomatic tensions and travel restrictions between Pakistan and India, obtaining visas remains a major concern.

Both countries engaged in a four-day conflict in May 2025 after a militant attack on civilians in Indian-occupied Kashmir, an incident New Delhi blamed on Islamabad, and Pakistan firmly rejected.

Khan, director of "House of Rain," told Pakistan TV Digital that while the nomination is a “huge honour,” his team is “not aware of the travel process yet.”

Regardless of the hurdles ahead, the triple nomination marks a significant victory for Pakistan’s film industry, offering rare global visibility and a promising step forward for emerging cinematic voices.