Three-time Emmy-nominated filmmaker and Pakistani Academy Selection Committee Chairman Mohammed Ali Naqvi has launched the Pakistan Crescent Collective (PCC), representing Pakistan’s official presence at the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival and marking the first time the country will have a central hub at the global event, a press release said on Monday.
The PCC will serve as a “central hub” in a week-long event at Cannes from May 14-20 “to discover and nurture the next generation of talent, preserve films and promote Pakistani and diaspora films globally, thereby advancing Pakistan’s visual culture.”
“As one of the only countries without a central hub at Cannes, it’s imperative to launch initiatives like The Crescent Collective,” Naqvi was quoted as saying in a press release by Modoxy Media. “We are dedicated to championing Pakistani cinema and talent, both at home and abroad. It’s time to celebrate our own.”
Pakistan has made a significant impact at Cannes in recent years through the films Joyland in 2022 and last year’s In Flames, which were the country’s official submissions to the Academy Awards.
The Legend of Maula Jatt became the highest-grossing Pakistani film ever while Hollywood has also seen increased Pakistani representation, with Naqvi co-executive producing two seasons of the Netflix top ten hit, Turning Point: The Bomb & The Cold War and directing The Accused: Damned or Devoted?- the first Pakistani film nominated for a Primetime Emmy for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking.
Ms. Marvel, the first Muslim-American superhero series, also showcased Pakistani-American talent, while Iram Parveen Bilal’s Wakhiri and Fawzia Mirza’s Queen of My Dreams have also been well received recently.
“The Pakistan Crescent Collective aims to build on this momentum by launching a robust and comprehensive program for the 77th Cannes Film Festival which includes a filmmaker panel discussion and event following the preview screening for the highly anticipated ‘The Glassworker’,” the statement said, referring to Pakistan first 2D hand-painted traditional film.
The PCC will also be co-hosting the inauguration and reception for the world’s first South Asian Film Market, launched by the Oscar-qualifying Tasveer Film Festival.
As part of the launch, Tasveer and the Pakistan Crescent Collective will co-host an exclusive speed networking event on the American Pavilion Terrace. Selected filmmaking teams will meet with established film financiers and funders to pitch their next project during a rapid round of networking, followed by a cocktail sundowner reception for all participants. This event is part of American Pavilion’s Global Lens Day.
