Pakistan (Qasim Ali)
The Little Art is proud to announce that it has sent a delegate of youth representing Pakistan at the prestigious Giffoni Film Festival, one of the largest children’s film festivals in the world, held in Italy. The delegate consists of three young girls, selected through a competitive process. Through its project, Lahore International Children’s Film Festival (LICFF), The Little Art selected three young people to become members of the international jury at the 54th Giffoni Film Festival, which takes place this week in Italy. This year, three of the selected delegates are young girls who will join the festival in Giffoni Valle Piana, Campania, near Rome in Southern Italy. Pak delegation includes Menaal Kashif, Dua Shazib, Ramya Hassan comes from various educational institutes with an interest in arts and filmmaking. The delegate was supported by Consulate General of Pakistan Italy this year. The Little Art is specially thankful to H.E. Mr. Ali Javed, the Ambassador of Pakistan to Italy for his support and encouragement. “It is a proud moment for me to see participation of young Pakistani girls in one the world’s biggest children film festival. Its an opportunity to Pakistani youth to express itself and make their mark at the international stage. I congratulate the three young girls on their selection against strict merit based criteria and the The Little Art for their active support and hard work for children in the fields of art and culture.” Said, Consulate General of Pakistan in Milan, Italy, H.E. Aqsa Nawaz. Since 2013, The Little Art has been annually taking children’s delegates to international children’s film festivals in Giffoni (Italy), Doha (Qatar), Isfahan (Iran), and Salam (Azerbaijan). This initiative aims to provide young people with the opportunity to experience global cultures, represent Pakistan, and participate in an international platform. “Giffoni is a great opportunity for young people. It is life changing in many ways. It empowers them to be creative, make a life-long network and see themselves as future leaders.” Said Umair Mushtaq, Interim Director of The Little Art. The Giffoni International Film Festival is renowned as the largest children’s film festival in Europe and possibly the world. Over 60,000 children from 59 countries attend the festival each year. During the event, children and teenagers watch films, learn about filmmaking, and judge and award the best films with prizes. This year, the festival will feature a hundred films in competition, focusing on themes of greatest interest to young people. The 54th edition of the Giffoni Film Festival was inaugurated by Vincenzo De Luca, President of the Campania Region, along with major authorities from the Salerno province and local mayors. This year’s theme, “The Illusion of Distance,” will explore the dangers of the sense of isolation that affects new generations, emphasizing the fear of others, the different, and the distant, and the deceit of feeling separated.
