ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan today (Saturday) expressing his confidence in the innate potential of country’s youth, urging filmmakers to focus on original content and adopt new approaches in filmmaking.
Addressing the first National Amateur Short Film Festival Awards (NASFF) ceremony here at the Pak-China Friendship Center, the prime minister stressed upon the young filmmakers to concentrate upon the production of original stuff as the world always bought the contents based upon reality.
The Prime Minister urged young filmmakers to present true and real image of Pakistan, “a country gifted with huge variety and diversity”. The premier said he had seen Pakistani cinema evolve over time.
He said mistakes were committed at the beginning since the Pakistani film industry was “impressed” by Bollywood which resulted in copying and adopting another culture. “In contrast Pakistani television was exhibiting a different approach and culture which found appeal in India as well,” he added,
“So the most important thing I want to say to young filmmakers is that according to my experience of the world, only originality sells — the copy has no value,” the prime minister added.
The premier said he was repeatedly told that people don’t watch local films unless commercial content isn’t included. “Vulgarity started from Hollywood, came to Bollywood and then that kind of culture was promoted here,” he added.
“I requested the Turkish president at the time and brought the serial ‘Ertugrul’ to Pakistan. That has an alternate culture but it is popular and people see it,” he pointed out.
PM Imran also hit out against the need to promote Pakistan’s soft image, saying that it was based on a sense of inferiority and defensiveness when Pakistan used to be mischaracterised during the ‘war on terror’.
He said that a soft image was actually rooted in independence and self-belief, not in speaking English and donning Western clothing. “The world respects the one who respects themselves,” he said, adding that “Pakistaniyat” should be promoted.
The event was held under the patronage of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in association with Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) to give awards to three winners each in different categories of short films.
The ceremony was attended by Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib, Director General ISPR Major General Babar Iftikhar and other federal ministers and parliamentarians.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry informed that country’s first Media Technology University would be launched on August 14 this year which would be formally inaugurated by the prime minister, at this building.
The minister said in today’s world, there was contest over opinion making and perceptions in which the media was playing an important role. The media as a tool is being used effectively for building narratives across the world, he added.
