June Issue 2010

The unveiling ceremony of the Hum Telefilm Festival took place on May 20 at Nishat Cinema, Karachi. Despite the perilous security situation of the city, the theatre was filled with the glitterati of the city, a testament to the resilient spirit of Karachi.

The 10 finalists were introduced in a screening articulately anchored by Bushra Ansari. This year’s telefilms seem to comprise a few hidden gems such as Kaun Qamar Ara, Tehreem, Rang and Silwat.

While addressing the ceremony, the president of HUM TV network, Ms Sultana Siddiqui, delineated that the objectives of the telefilm festival are to promote new talent and revive the tradition of the single play that has been overshadowed in the current commercial environment of soaps and serials. Interestingly, all the telefilms boast of renowned names both in terms of cast and crew, so it makes one question the “promoting new talent” aspect.

The finalists were decided by a jury consisting of Mehreen Jabbar, Asif Noorani, Rubina Ashraf and Khaled Ahmed.

The scheduling of the telefilms was decided through a random ballot, adding an element of fun when the producers of the films were called on stage to pick out their envelopes.

The Hum Telefilm Festival starts on June 5 and will go on for 10 weeks with a film screening every week.