After Pakistani film Joyland‘s roaring win at Cannes Film Festival, the industry decided to produce another cinematic masterpiece to grace the coveted event for the second year in a row.
Last year, director Saim Sadiq’s Oscar-shortlisted Joyland became the first Pakistani film to mark a world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of Cannes Film Festival. The film also secured the Jury Prize and the Queer Palm award.
This year, Canadian-Pakistani filmmaker Zarrar Kahn’s debut feature film, In Flames, is ready for its world premiere next month at Quinzaine des Cinéastes (Directors’ Fortnight), an independent selection that runs parallel to Festival de Cannes (Cannes Film Festival) in France. In Flames is the first South Asian “horror” film to have been picked by Directors’ Fortnight.
Kahn’s directorial is among 20 feature films and 10 shorts featured in the parallel section that was launched in 1969 as Quinzaine des Réalisateurs. The section is overseen by Société des Réalisateurs de Films (French Directors’ Guild).
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The main event is scheduled from May 16 to May 27.
According to Kahn, the first Pakistani film to play in the Directors’ Fortnight was Jamil Dehlavi’s The Blood of Hussain (1980). In Flames marks the return of Pakistan to the Directors’ Fortnight after 43 years.
Zarrar Kahn aka Hamza Bangash is one of the most talented young filmmakers in Lollywood. Kahn’s short films include Dia (2018), 1978 (2020), Stray Dogs Come Out at Night (2020), and Bhai (2021).
Pakistani films nominated for Cannes World Film Festival 2023
