Pakistan marked a vibrant cultural presence at the 43rd Fajr Film Festival in Iran’s historic city of Shiraz, with Federal Minister for Culture Aurangzeb Khan Khichi leading the country’s delegation.
The spokesperson for the Pakistani Embassy in Tehran confirmed that this year’s festival featured Pakistan’s most extensive participation to date.
Minister Khichi attended the festival as a special guest, accompanied by renowned Pakistani filmmakers. In his address at the ceremony, he highlighted the deep-rooted ties between Pakistan and Iran.
“Pakistan and Iran are close neighbours. We share strong social, cultural, religious and brotherly relations,” he noted, emphasizing cinema’s role as “a powerful tool to promote the culture and cultural values of any country.”
For the first time in the festival’s history, three Pakistani films—Actor in Law, Amr Ayyar: A New Beginning, and Taxali Gate—were screened, drawing enthusiastic responses from audiences. The minister actively participated in all festival events and toured the Pakistan Pavilion, where he met the Chairman of the Iranian Cinema Foundation.
During the meeting, Khichi invited the Iranian official to visit Pakistan and engage with key stakeholders in the cinema industry. He also reiterated the government’s strong commitment to strengthening and expanding Pakistan’s film sector.
Minister Khichi underscored the value of enhanced cinematic exchange between the two countries, noting that the screening of Iranian films in Pakistan and Pakistani films in Iran would help “bring our people closer to each other.” He encouraged joint film productions as a promising avenue for cultural cooperation.
The Pakistani Embassy hailed the country’s participation as a significant milestone in promoting bilateral cultural relations through cinema.