Pakistani flicks ‘Nayab’ and ‘Deemak’ triumph at the SCO Film Festival in China

(Web Desk) – Pakistani films Nayab and Deemak received top honors during the lively closing ceremony of the SCO Film Festival in Chongqing, China. Nayab got the coveted Jury Special Award, and Deemak was honored with the Best Editing Award.

Umair Nasir Ali, the director of Nayab, and acclaimed actor Mohammad Usama collected the prize to rapturous applause. Similarly, Deemak’s director Rafay Akbar Rashdi and actress Soniya Hussyn were greeted enthusiastically when they accepted their awards.

The event was attended by Minister of State for Education Wajiha Qamar, Executive Director General of the Directorate of Electronic Media and Publications Samina Farzin, and representatives of the Pakistani film industry whose works were showcased during the festival.

Umair Nasir Ali expressed his delight at the huge response from the audience at the Nayab showing.

“The cinema was crowded, and what genuinely struck me was how emotionally the Chinese audience related to the picture. “They understood its emotional depth and posed thoughtful, insightful questions,” he stated.

Viewers really identified with Nayab’s character—her resilience, ambition, and drive to break conventional conventions. One documentary filmmaker in the crowd commended the film’s narrative framework, while others voiced a want to see more of Nayab’s last match versus India, demonstrating how immersed they had grown in the story.

Ali remarked on the power of storytelling across cultures, describing the event as a reminder of how localized stories can have global appeal.

Nayab was shown in a huge movie hall in Chongqing’s Yongchuan area, to a large crowd that included SCO filmmakers, media representatives, locals, and members of the Pakistani delegation.

The event provided a riveting look at Pakistan’s changing cinema environment.

Nayab, directed by Umair Nasir Ali, is a coming-of-age film about a young girl from Karachi who aspires to play for the national cricket team while overcoming societal and familial obstacles.

The China Film Administration and the Chongqing local government staged the SCO Film Festival, which ran from July 3 to 7, to promote people-to-people connections among member nations. It had 11 major events, including cinema screenings, debates, a technology exhibition, and a gala concert. Awards were given in ten categories, including Best Film and Best Director.

A total of 27 films from SCO nations were submitted and presented, demonstrating the region’s diverse cinematic landscape.