ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani Academy Selection Committee (PASC) announced its official Oscar submission for this year on Saturday, breaking away from more conventional choices and opting for a horror film that made its premiere at the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight in May.
Directed by Zarrar Kahn, “In Flames” follows a mother and her daughter as their lives are upended by tangible and spectral forces from their past, making them realize their unique bond is their only defense against the looming darkness.
The committee, a non-governmental body of Pakistani film directors, producers, writers, actors and distributors, nominated the film for the international festival while praising it for its overall quality.
“As the Chair of the Pakistani Academy Selection Committee, it is with immense pride and a deep sense of responsibility that we select and submit ‘In Flames’ as Pakistan’s official entry for the International Feature category at the 96th Academy Awards,” PASC chairperson Mohammed Ali Naqvi said. “This selection not only underscores the film’s brilliance but also marks a pivotal moment in the evolving narrative of Pakistani cinema.”
“‘In Flames’ is a testament to the boundless potential of Pakistani cinema on the global stage,” he added.
The Pakistani horror film is destined to be screened at the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah which is scheduled to begin toward the end of the next month.
“I’m deeply honored that our film has been recognized by Pakistan’s Oscar committee,” Kahn, the director, said after the nomination. “We’re currently self-distributing the film in Pakistan, as despite clearance from the local censor board, we were considered too controversial by local distributors — so we’re doing it ourselves.”
He said the response from Pakistani audiences had been “rapturous.”
“‘In Flames’ is an urgent call-to-action, exposing the brutality of the patriarchy and the power of community,” he continued. “In today’s divided world, it offers solace to the oppressed — and tells them that hope can never be extinguished.”
The film is currently running in cinemas across Pakistan.
Pakistani committee picks Cannes-premiered horror film for this year’s Oscar run
https://arab.news/guvqj
Pakistani committee picks Cannes-premiered horror film for this year’s Oscar run
- Pakistani film directors, producers and writers call ‘In Flame’ a testament to the boundless potential of local cinema
- The top PASC official says the selection marks a pivotal moment in the evolving narrative of Pakistani film industry
At ECO meeting, Pakistan proposes ‘Regional Innovation Hub’ to curb natural disasters
- Pakistan hosts high-level 10th ECO Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Risk Reduction in Islamabad
- Innovation hub to focus on early warning technologies, risk informed infrastructure planning
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has proposed to set up a “Regional Innovation Hub on Disaster Risk Reduction” that focuses on early warning technologies and risk informed infrastructure planning, the Press Information Department (PID) said on Wednesday, as Islamabad hosts a high-level meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).
The ECO’s 10th Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is being held from Jan. 21-22 at the headquarters of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in Pakistan’s capital.
The high-level regional forum brings together ministers, and senior officials from ECO member states, representatives of the ECO Secretariat and regional and international partner organizations. The event is aimed to strengthen collective efforts toward enhancing disaster resilience across the ECO region, the PID said.
“Key agenda items include regional cooperation on early warning systems, disaster risk information management, landslide hazard zoning, inclusive disaster preparedness initiatives, and Pakistan’s proposal to establish a Regional Innovation Hub on Disaster Risk Reduction, focusing on early warning technologies, satellite data utilization, and risk-informed infrastructure planning,” the statement said.
The meeting was attended by delegations from ECO member states including Pakistan, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Representatives of regional and international organizations and development partners were also in attendance.
Discussions focused on enhancing regional coordination, harmonizing disaster risk reduction frameworks, and strengthening collective preparedness against transboundary and climate-induced hazards impacting the ECO region, the PID said.
ECO members states such as Pakistan, Türkiye, Afghanistan and others have faced natural calamities such as floods and earthquakes in recent years that have killed tens of thousands of people.
Heavy rains triggered catastrophic floods in Pakistan in 2022 and 2025 that killed thousands of people and caused damages to critical infrastructure, inflicting losses worth billions of dollars.
Islamabad has since then called on regional countries to join hands to cooperate to avert future climate disasters and promote early warning systems to avoid calamities in future.
