On December 15, Islamabad Serena Hotel hosted the inaugural ceremony of the 4th edition of the Pakistan International Mountain Film Festival (PIMFF).
According to The Nation, the chief guest on the occasion was renowned mountaineer, Colonel (Retd.) M. Sher Khan who holds the distinction of being the first Pakistani to have climbed Rakaposhi (7,788 meters) and Nanga Parbat (8,126 meters), along with numerous other peaks.
Wajahat Malik, founder of PIMFF welcomed the guests to the ceremony and screening of ‘The Frozen Road’.
Aziz Boolani, CEO of Serena Hotels, said, “It is a great privilege for us to inaugurate the Pakistan International Mountain Film Festival 2018 which. We bring diverse experiences to our friends and community thereby adding value. Serena Hotel’s Adventure Diplomacy Initiative encourages human engagement with Nature in ways that test physical prowess, endurance and commitment, mountain activities being a core part of these activities.”
‘ The Frozen Road’, one of the most extraordinary films in the program, depicts an incredible month-long expedition through Canada’s remote and frozen Yukon Territory to the Arctic Sea. Ben Page began the three-year bike trip in 2014 and chronicles a single month in the riveting film.
The Pakistan International Film Festival aims to be the largest film festival in Pakistan. PIMFF screens short films, documentaries, features and animations related to mountain adventure sports, nature, environment, climate change, mountain tourism, mountain cultures and communities.
The first edition of PIMFF was held in Lahore on June 13-14, 2015. The 2nd edition of PIMFF was held at Pakistan National Council for the Arts (PNCA) in Islamabad on December 13-14, 2016 and the 3rd edition of PIMFF was held at PNCA in Islamabad on December 16-17, 2017.
The mountain film festivals on this scale promote mountain tourism, awareness about environmental issues, affinity for foreign cultures and help project a positive image of the country.
