Gandhara Independent Film Festival 2025 concludes with fanfare at NAPA

The sixth edition of the Gandhara Independent Film Festival (GIFF 25) concluded with a vibrant closing ceremony at the Zia Mohyeddin Theater, National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA), on Sunday. The three-day event celebrated independent cinema, culminating in a grand awards ceremony where local filmmakers won major honors.

Top honors were shared by two Pakistani films: Syed Asad's Janjaal and Tabish Habib's Time after Time, which each bagged the awards for Best Film and Best Director.

Another local film, Abdul Majid Abbasi’s Kareem, won the Best Screenplay award. Filmmaker Irfan Noor and others also bagged awards in different categories. Renowned filmmakers Nabeel Qureshi and Fizza Ali Meerza presented the awards to the winners.

The opening day featured film screenings, the second day was dominated by workshops, while the final day focused heavily on Pakistani talent. The screenings of Kareem and Time After Time were followed by engaging Q&A sessions with their respective casts and crews, including Kareem's director, Abdul Majid Abbasi, and Time After Time's director, Tabish Habib.

Industry insights were shared during a panel discussion on the relationship between culture and storytelling, featuring acclaimed filmmakers Nabeel Qureshi, Fizza Ali Meerza, and Nadeem Baig.

The festival, which kicked off on Friday, successfully brought together cinema personalities and film enthusiasts, screening a diverse lineup of films from Pakistan, France, Canada, Germany, Spain, and several other countries.