Sat 19 & Sun 20 Apr 2025
Includes All Saturday and Sunday Films
Panels and Workshops
Evening entertainment & Award Show
Evening Hors d’oeuvres
Backstage access
Sat 19 Apr 2025
Includes all Saturday films
Panels and Workshops
Evening entertainment & Award Show
Evening Hors d’oeuvres
Backstage access
Sun 20 Apr 2025
Includes all Sunday films
Panels and Workshops
Evening entertainment & Award Show
Evening Hors d’oeuvres
Backstage access
Sat 19 Apr 2025
Includes all Saturday films
Panels and Workshops
Evening entertainment & Award Show
Sun 20 Apr 2025
Includes all Sunday films
Panels and Workshops
Evening entertainment & Award Show
At 22, SHALIN SHAH had it all — a loving and supportive family, the love of his life by his side, and a promising future ahead, filled with high minded ideals of changing the world. A recent USC graduate, Shalin heads off to Peru to serve in the Peace Corps for two years.
But when Shalin suddenly becomes ill and is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, his life is completely upended, and a once bright future becomes dim. Through chemotherapy and self introspection, Shalin tumbles on a downward spiral, in spite of his family’s best efforts. But with the help of Fiona and her undying love for him, they pull out of the darkness together and Shalin realizes that even in the midst of death and a shortened life, he still has an opportunity to change the world — by living his life in the moment and sharing his experience with others.
This film is included in “Saturday All Day pass” or “VIP” or “VVIP” price.
This film is not rated by Rung Film Festival. We recommend teen and/or above audiences.
Najeeba is a young girl, yet eldest daughter left in the family to run demised father’s vegetable vendor, who recently martyred in an explosion at the fruit market in
Hazar Ganji, Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan. While living in a male dominant society, she is to confront to harsh realities that makes her take some tough life decisions.
This film is included in “Sunday All Day pass” or “VIP” or “VVIP” price.
This film is not rated by Rung Film Festival. We recommend teen and/or above audiences.
“Razakar” is a period drama set in 1968, pre-partition East and West Pakistan exploring the political tensions of the time. The story follows Jamal, an aspiring Bengali actor, as he grapples with the challenges posed by his uncompromising director, mirroring the larger socio-political conflicts unfolding around them. Through personal struggles and political subtext, the film raises poignant questions about identity and division.
This film is included in “Sunday All Day pass” or “VIP” or “VVIP” price.
This film is not rated by Rung Film Festival. We recommend teen and/or above audiences.
A look through the years of Pakistani history told via a family and what they see/experience through their TV.
This film is included in “Sunday All Day pass” or “VIP” or “VVIP” price.
This film is not rated by Rung Film Festival. We recommend teen and/or above audiences.
This thought-provoking panel discussion will explore the role of media in advancing social justice, highlighting the power of film, television, and digital storytelling in shaping public awareness and driving change. Featuring a diverse group of filmmakers, journalists, activists, and media professionals, the conversation will delve into how stories of marginalized communities are told, the ethical responsibilities of content creators, and the challenges of representation in mainstream media.
Topics may include:
The impact of film and media in raising awareness about social justice issues.
Authentic representation of underrepresented voices.
Ethical storytelling and responsible journalism.
The role of media in activism and policy change.
Challenges faced by creators addressing controversial topics.
A local photo studio in Pakistan serves as a vibrant cultural hub where personal dreams and community connections are brought to life through photography. The filmmaker, a displaced native, partners with Sakhi, a photographer yearning for a life abroad, to explore the aesthetics and economics of image-making shaped by socio-political influences and social class. As customers enter with their unique fantasies and desires, each photograph emerges as a powerful representation of their aspirations, reflecting the intricate interplay between identity and longing.
This film is included in “Saturday All Day pass” or “VIP” or “VVIP” price.
This film is not rated by Rung Film Festival. We recommend teen and/or above audiences.
Journey of a seven-year-old girl, Ruqayya, on a mission to find her lost kitten. Suspecting her mother and neighbors, she embarks on a whimsical search. During her quest, Ruqayya stumbles upon a protest against a recent terrorist attack. Inspired by the demonstrators’ placards, she creates her own sign seeking help to find her missing kitten.
This film is included in “Saturday All Day pass” or “VIP” or “VVIP” price.
This film is not rated by Rung Film Festival. We recommend teen and/or above audiences.
A frazzled mom is late for Cricket Try Outs! Will she make it?
This film is included in “Saturday All Day pass” or “VIP” or “VVIP” price.
This film is not rated by Rung Film Festival. We recommend teen and/or above audiences.
It is May of 1992. The state sanctioned “Operation” has put the city of Karachi at constant unrest. Abdul Aziz Ansari wakes up at night and is informed by his daughter in law, Naseema that his son hasn’t returned home. As a knock on their door later at night summons them to the hospital, what they witness along the way is known today as the most brutal chapter of the city’s history, a sentiment of hatred towards their race, deep rooted beneath the system.
This film is included in “Sunday All Day pass” or “VIP” or “VVIP” price.
This film is not rated by Rung Film Festival. We recommend teen and/or above audiences.
This special panel pays tribute to the remarkable life and literary contributions of Bapsi Sidhwa, one of South Asia’s most celebrated authors. Known for her powerful storytelling and unflinching exploration of themes such as Partition, gender, identity, and diaspora, Sidhwa’s works have left an indelible mark on literature and cinema.
Topics may include:
Bapsi Sidhwa’s literary journey and major works.
The representation of history, gender, and identity in her storytelling.
Sidhwa’s influence on South Asian literature and film.
The future of storytelling in the themes she championed.
A young, gifted Vincent and his father Tomas run the finest glass workshop in the country and find their lives upended by an approaching war in which they want no part. The arrival in their town of an army colonel and his young aspiring violinist daughter, Alliz,shakes their reality and tests the relationship between father and son. As the love develops between Vincent and Alliz, they will need to gather up their courage to confront their fathers.
This film is included in “Saturday All Day pass” or “VIP” or “VVIP” price.
This film is not rated by Rung Film Festival. We recommend teen and/or above audiences.
Presenters: TBD
The film tells the story of a single mother, Madina. Her day-to-day routine is a battle for survival with lack of confidence in the present and lack of hope in the future. In trying to earn a living for her small family – an old grandmother, a withdrawn little brother and a two years old daughter – Madina is ready to go against her moral principles. The cold winter inside that froze her feelings seems to never end until one day her brother makes a shocking revelation. The knowledge about abuse to which he had been subjected as a child changes everything for Madina and breaks the ice that covered her soul.
This film is included in “Saturday All Day pass” or “VIP” or “VVIP” price.
This film is not rated by Rung Film Festival. We recommend teen and/or above audiences.
An Expository documentary, which shows the life of a street musician in Lahore, Pakistan. This person roams around the streets, playing his Harmonium and entertaining people in exchange of some pennies, he is doing this because of his love towards music.
This film is included in “Sunday All Day pass” or “VIP” or “VVIP” price.
This film is not rated by Rung Film Festival. We recommend teen and/or above audiences.
Jugnu has learned to suppress anger her entire life. When she takes on the task of planning her Uncle’s retirement party, minor inconveniences cause her to reach her breaking point and confront some deeply buried feelings.
Since moving away and starting a new job, 25 year old Jugnu’s rare trip to Cerritos is a lot more than just a visit back home. Overwhelmed with work, she takes on the task of planning her neighbor Saleem uncle’s retirement party to prove to family that she still cares.
It’s already a rough start at home when she arrives empty handed, especially with Jugnu’s father Kamal. Accompanied by her mother, Rukhe, she ventures to Artesia in a last minute effort to get supplies for the party. To make matters worse, Saleem uncle’s favorite mithai from his favorite store has run out. Tensions start to run high when Jugnu is back in the car and has to deal with Rukhe’s disappointment.
Things can’t get worse until they do. Jugnu crashes into another man’s car. When the man begins to blame Jugnu for the crash, something clicks for her. In one gigantic outburst of anger, Jugnu unloads years worth of pent up emotions at the man, her boss and her family.
This film is included in “Sunday All Day pass” or “VIP” or “VVIP” price.
This film is not rated by Rung Film Festival. We recommend teen and/or above audiences.
A decorated Muslim-American Marine battles his inner demons, prejudice, and a fractured sense of identity as he seeks self-discovery from the haunting memory of a life-altering event at war.
This film is included in “Sunday All Day pass” or “VIP” or “VVIP” price.
This film is not rated by Rung Film Festival. We recommend teen and/or above audiences.
This documentary shares the inspiring story of a resilient woman from Gilgit, Pakistan. Starting with setting up an organization to support women in her community, her journey began after her marriage when she noticed the need for such support in her new home.
She went further, diving into honey production, turning it into a success despite doubts. She also introduced innovative crops like broccoli, Hoop shots, mushrooms, and French beans, transforming traditional farming practices and making the fields more diverse and profitable.
Despite facing personal challenges like losing her son and health issues, she found strength in her work. Her efforts helped her community, inspiring other women to join in and contribute to farming and learning new skills.
This documentary showcases her incredible journey, highlighting how women like her bring positive changes to their homes and communities, making Gilgit a better place for everyone.
This film is included in “Sunday All Day pass” or “VIP” or “VVIP” price.
This film is not rated by Rung Film Festival. We recommend teen and/or above audiences.
Two Pakistanis living in New York meet on an arranged marriage ‘date’ to see if they are suitable for each other.
This film is included in “Sunday All Day pass” or “VIP” or “VVIP” price.
This film is not rated by Rung Film Festival. We recommend teen and/or above audiences.
A grief-struck young woman immerses herself in the world of social media to avoid dealing with her reality.
This film is included in “Sunday All Day pass” or “VIP” or “VVIP” price.
This film is not rated by Rung Film Festival. We recommend teen and/or above audiences.
Most Pakistani American media producers and artists are looking to “break through”. Ideas such as “hitting mainstream” and successful projects like Mo and other OTT features are commonly talked about. However, it’s important for filmmakers who are starting out to define what breaking through means for them. Join our panelists, Aishah Iqbal and Samira Qureshi to talk about how they have seen people define breaking through. Learn from the panelists’ years of experience in major media houses like National Geographic and Disney and discuss first hand how they have taken projects from an idea to funding and distribution.
Documentary film on the job of manual scavenging, portrayed with rhythmic visuals that will provide abstract and subjective interpretation of reality.
With this film, the intention is to create the feeling rather than expressing the truth. It will show a manual scavenger doing the job inside the gutter that will bring discomfort among the audience to a point where it makes them realize the plight of a manual scavenger’s job especially after knowing that it is a bare minimum earning in comparison to the complex work they do.
This film is included in “Sunday All Day pass” or “VIP” or “VVIP” price.
This film is not rated by Rung Film Festival. We recommend teen and/or above audiences.
An estranged migrant working-class couple, after losing their daughter to an ill-fated custom, seeks friends in each other.
This film is included in “Sunday All Day pass” or “VIP” or “VVIP” price.
This film is not rated by Rung Film Festival. We recommend teen and/or above audiences.
Lonely Waters follows the haunting journey of Adam, a successful but isolated doctor, as he struggles with an unseen presence that shadows him, both at home and at work. Plagued by the demands of his job, Adam finds himself trapped in an eerie cycle of loneliness and confusion, where reality blurs with surreal visions of a dark forest and an enigmatic demon. As Adam navigates the emptiness of his luxury condo, hospital hallways, and late-night cafés, he’s repeatedly confronted by the demon, which seems to embody his internal struggles and unacknowledged fears. The boundary between his waking life and his nightmares begins to dissolve, leaving him disoriented and vulnerable. In the midst of his unraveling psyche, Adam encounters Ruth, an elderly patient, who offers him a glimmer of wisdom before her passing. Her words resonate deeply, hinting at the connection between his suppressed emotions and the relentless presence of the demon. The demon also gets in the way of him connecting with his best friend and a girl that repeatedly expresses interest in him. The film culminates in a mysterious and symbolic confrontation within a secluded cabin deep in the forest. Here, Adam finally comes face-to-face with the demon, leading to a surprising resolution that suggests an acceptance of his pain. In the end, Adam emerges from his ordeal with a renewed sense of connection, reaching out to those he had distanced himself from, and leaving behind the mask of the demon that once haunted him. Lonely Waters is a psychological thriller that explores themes of loneliness, guilt, and the hidden battles we face within ourselves, set against a backdrop of eerie, atmospheric tension.
This film is included in “Sunday All Day pass” or “VIP” or “VVIP” price.
This film is not rated by Rung Film Festival. We recommend teen and/or above audiences.
This autoethnographic performance-based film was created collaboratively with Eboni Edwards, an African American student in an MFA Acting program. It focuses on her struggles to find a space for her artistic voice as a Black woman, a voice that does not conform to a traditional approach to acting. Note: This film contains challenging language that is not suitable for all ages and some audience members may find upsetting.
This film is included in “Sunday All Day pass” or “VIP” or “VVIP” price.
This film is not rated by Rung Film Festival. We recommend teen and/or above audiences.
Young adult Muslims bond and shape their own American identity in the New South. As darkness falls and war ignites abroad, they reckon what it means to be hold faith – and to be Muslim – in times of conflict.
This film is included in “Sunday All Day pass” or “VIP” or “VVIP” price.
This film is not rated by Rung Film Festival. We recommend teen and/or above audiences.
This film is included in “Sunday All Day pass” or “VIP” or “VVIP” price.
This film is not rated by Rung Film Festival. We recommend teen and/or above audiences.
After being expelled from his medical residency program, Imran finds himself stranded in the vast California desert, his car breaking down just hours before reuniting with his family on Chaand Raat, the eve of Eid. In this challenging moment, he is accompanied by his companion, Maalik, as Imran grapples with the emotions he must confront when sharing his situation with his family.
This film is included in “Sunday All Day pass” or “VIP” or “VVIP” price.
This film is not rated by Rung Film Festival. We recommend teen and/or above audiences.
A 12-year-old Afghan refugee. His father. His fractured radio.
A world of noise with no voice. What traumas might a road from Kabul to Karachi hold?
This film is included in “Sunday All Day pass” or “VIP” or “VVIP” price.
This film is not rated by Rung Film Festival. We recommend teen and/or above audiences.
“Improv Workshop with Actors Across Borders – Gallery Room
This special presentation is by members of Houston based Actors Across Borders:
Danish Farooqi
Camille Ashraf
Maryam Asif
Faizan Sheikh
and famous Pakistani American actor Kamran Shaikh”
In the bustling heart of Karachi, a determined girl harbors a dream to shatter stereotypes and play cricket for Pakistan, while her brother, once a rising star himself, grapples with his past.
As they navigate the gritty world of local cricket scene, their unwavering bond and the city’s chaotic past become their greatest allies in this deeply Pakistani tale of ambition, resilience, and family.
This film is included in “Sunday All Day pass” or “VIP” or “VVIP” price.
This film is not rated by Rung Film Festival. We recommend teen and/or above audiences.
