GIFF 2026: 88 Films from 35 Countries Screen at Karachi's NAPA

88 films from 35 countries just turned Karachi's NAPA into the most international cinema hall in Pakistan. That was the scene as the 7th Gandhara Independent Film Festival (GIFF) wrapped its in-person programme on October 4, 2026, after three days of screenings at the National Academy of Performing Arts' Hindu Gymkhana in Karachi.

Founded by Cirque Films in 2020, the festival ran in a hybrid format this year, with 28 films screened at NAPA and another 60 available on an online streaming platform. (Source: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2632893/karachi-film-fest-attracts-movies-from-35-countries)

The selection spans Pakistan, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Indonesia, Iran, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Nepal, Norway, Poland, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates and the United States. Most Pakistani entries are in Urdu with English subtitles, while the international films arrive in 32 foreign languages, with English subtitles mandatory for every entry.

Since its launch, GIFF has showcased more than 700 independent films through online, physical and hybrid editions. Organisers say around 500 submissions came in from filmmakers across Pakistan for the 2026 edition alone, proof of how hungry local storytellers are for a screen of their own. (Source: https://thepakistantimes.com.pk/karachi-film-festival-features-films-from-35-countries/)

Gandhara Independent Film Festival 2026: Inside the Hybrid Format

The in-person leg of the festival ran from October 2 to 4 at NAPA's Hindu Gymkhana, featuring 28 films: nine Pakistani short films and 19 international shorts. The online programme added 60 more, including seven feature films, 25 international shorts and 28 Pakistani shorts. The online screenings began on September 18 and streamed on ARY Plus, the festival's official streaming partner. (Source: https://gandharafilmfestival.com/festival)

Festival Producer Beenish Umer told The Express Tribune the hybrid format was a practical answer to a hard reality. "This is the seventh edition of the festival, which is held annually around this time of the year. This year, it is a hybrid festival, with 28 Pakistani and international films being screened at NAPA over three days, from October 2 to 4," she said. She added that the festival would ideally run a longer physical programme, but venue limitations made that difficult. "There are another 60 films available on OTT platforms. This is mainly because we have limited venues and resources, so we could not book a venue for the entire week," Umer explained.

The festival's own website lists the in-person selection at 30 films, so the exact screening count varies slightly by source, but the scale is clear either way. Alongside the screenings, GIFF welcomed indie filmmakers, media professionals, academicians, creative industry veterans and cinephiles for networking sessions and discussions around the short film craft.

Nine Pakistani Shorts That Lit Up the Big Screen

Dawn's Images preview of this year's lineup confirms that nine Pakistani short films were chosen for the in-person competition's special recognition slate. Each carries a distinctly local voice. (Source: https://images.dawn.com/news/1195852/heres-whats-playing-at-this-years-gandhara-independent-film-festival-in-karachi)

Permanent Guest by Sana Zahra Jafri is set in Lahore and follows 26-year-old Fatin as her family prepares for a neighbourhood wedding. The arrival of Shabeer, Fatin's 70-year-old uncle, cracks open old traumas and turns the celebration into something far more fragile.

We Really Are Pakistan (WRAP) by Saba Karim Khan dives into Karachi's Gizri neighbourhood, following three restaurant workers fighting to keep their passion for rap music alive against everyday adversity.

Khazana by Basir Ahmed follows a deaf waste collector moving through Karachi's streets. A shocking discovery in a landfill pulls him into the orbit of a ruthless gangster, and a khazana, a treasure, that could change his life forever.

The After: A Chef's Wish by Umar Riaz is the first film about the late Fatima Ali, the Pakistani-American chef who won hearts after her appearance on Top Chef. Made with her family's support and approval, it follows her brother as he carries forward her mission of bringing people together through food and taking its joy to underprivileged communities.

Raat Jaagay by Mahnoor Nawab traces one long night in the life of a lonely young mother, as sleeplessness pushes her into the fragile space between hope and despair.

The remaining four, Attock by Awais Gohar, Blender by Syed Nabil Hasan Rizvi, How to Kill Your Hunger? by Mehroz Amin and The Send Off by Amina Imran, round out a slate that moves between Karachi's streets, family kitchens and intimate personal histories. Most of these films are in Urdu with English subtitles.

World Cinema at NAPA: 35 Countries, 32 Languages

The international side of the programme gave Karachi audiences something they rarely get: a window into filmmaking traditions from five continents in a single weekend. The opening night alone featured special presentations of nine foreign-language independent shorts from France, Canada, Iran, Brazil, China, Australia, Saudi Arabia and Peru. (Source: https://theazb.com/gandhara-independent-film-festival-2026-opens-with-international-short-films/)

Among the in-competition foreign language shorts were titles like What We Leave Behind, Paradise Heights, Legacy of the Sun and Moon, Candy Bar, Nobody Barks, When The Tiger Roars, Brute, The Monster, The Veil, Buffalo, The Mould, Octopus, The Man Who Stumbled By His Words, My Plastic Mother, Petticoats, Jazz Infernal, Under The Whether, Who Love The Sun and Finir au Soleil.

The selected films explore themes that cross borders easily: family heritage, creative struggles, relationships, identity, motherhood and social issues. That is the quiet power of the short film format. In fifteen minutes, a filmmaker from Tabriz or Toronto can make a viewer in Karachi feel something uncomfortably familiar.

Why Festivals Like This Matter for Pakistani Filmmakers

Pakistan produces far more independent films than its commercial cinemas will ever show. With limited venues and resources for non-mainstream cinema, festivals like GIFF have become the primary stage where young filmmakers can be seen, judged and discovered.

Actor Ayesha Toor, who attended the opening day, welcomed the festival as an important platform for Pakistani and international independent cinema and expressed hope that GIFF would contribute to positive cultural change in Karachi and across Pakistan.

The ecosystem around the festival keeps growing. Karachi Film School serves as the educational partner, See Prime as strategic partner, Talking Point as PR partner and NAPA as venue partner. Industry partners this year included Epic Pictures, Sharp Image, Hot Water Bottle Films, Bionic Films, Tallman Films, Y Productions and What's Next, while sponsors included UBL, Candi Biscuit, Candyland, Olper's Dairy Tea Creamer and Vatika.

For the roughly 500 Pakistani filmmakers who submitted their work this year, GIFF offers something no algorithm can: a room full of strangers watching your film in the dark, and the applause or silence that follows. That feedback loop is where careers begin. As the seventh edition closes its curtains, the message to Pakistan's indie storytellers is simple. Keep shooting. There is a screen waiting.

FAQs

When and where was the 7th Gandhara Independent Film Festival held?

The 7th Gandhara Independent Film Festival was held from October 2 to 4, 2026, at NAPA's Hindu Gymkhana in Karachi, with 28 films screened in person. An online programme ran alongside it, streaming 60 additional films on ARY Plus from September 18. Founded by Cirque Films in 2020, the festival uses this hybrid format partly because of limited venues and resources for independent cinema in Pakistan.

How many films were shown at GIFF 2026?

The 2026 edition featured 88 selected films from 35 countries. The in-person programme at NAPA included nine Pakistani short films and 19 international shorts, while the online selection added seven feature films, 25 international shorts and 28 Pakistani shorts. Most Pakistani films are in Urdu with English subtitles, and the international films span 32 foreign languages.

What is the Gandhara Independent Film Festival?

The Gandhara Independent Film Festival (GIFF) is an annual celebration of independent cinema founded by Cirque Films in 2020. Since its launch, it has showcased more than 700 independent films through online, physical and hybrid editions. Around 500 submissions came in from filmmakers across Pakistan for the 2026 edition alone.

Which Pakistani short films screened at the festival?

Nine Pakistani short films were chosen for the in-person special recognition lineup: Permanent Guest by Sana Zahra Jafri, We Really Are Pakistan by Saba Karim Khan, Khazana by Basir Ahmed, The After: A Chef's Wish by Umar Riaz and Raat Jaagay by Mahnoor Nawab. They were joined by Attock by Awais Gohar, Blender by Syed Nabil Hasan Rizvi, How to Kill Your Hunger? by Mehroz Amin and The Send Off by Amina Imran. Most of these films are in Urdu with English subtitles.

Why is GIFF important for Pakistani filmmakers?

Pakistan's commercial cinemas rarely screen independent or short films, so festivals like GIFF give young filmmakers their main chance to be seen and discovered. Festival Producer Beenish Umer has said the hybrid format itself is a response to limited venues and resources for indie cinema in the country. Beyond screenings, the festival offers networking with industry veterans, media exposure and the irreplaceable experience of watching a live audience react to your work.