Federal Information Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Marriyum Aurangzeb, launched two Pakistan Television Corporation’s projects, Film Logo and PakFlix in the country’s federal capital aiming to promote youth engagement in filmmaking.
The minister launched the PakFlix project, which will make Pakistan Television dramas and other archive content available online for viewers, particularly those living abroad. She stated the government was taking all feasible measures to revive the film sector when she spoke at the opening ceremony. She noted that work on the PTV Film Division began in 2017 and that Pakistan’s first film policy was launched in 2018 with Cabinet approval.
According to the minister, on the occasion of Pakistan’s 70th anniversary of independence, Jamal Shah established the country’s first culture policy.
“In 2018, we not only formulated the film policy but for the first time we engaged the film and culture sector in it,” she said adding “We had given a comprehensive draft to all the stakeholders in the film policy, giving industry status to the film sector.”
She stated that the first ever film policy featured tax benefits for the film business as well as infrastructural incentives for cinemas, but that the policy could not be implemented in its entirety in the past.
The current government intended to provide a platform where all stakeholders could join together to solve the industry’s difficulties. The film used to be a popular medium because of its strong content, but that technology had grown and cinematography had improved, but that there was a lack of content on the screen now. She stated that long-term improvements in the film industry are required, and that the first step should be to promote the content right away.
PTV has kept its reputation to this day because of its strong foundations, ethics, and credibility. According to Marriyum Aurangzeb, the PTV screen created narratives for society because its duty was to create national narratives. The country has a long history of fighting a war on terror, and there was a need to shield society, particularly the youth, from its bad consequences. The shortage of children’s content was a serious problem in both the television and film industries, and that Pakistani children were compelled to watch foreign content due to a lack of children’s programming on television channels, movies, and documentaries. The steps were being done to address the issue of children’s programming on PTV. It was vital to present the true facts through the news in order for Pakistanis to be informed of the situation.
She stated that attempts were being made to accommodate the public’s demand for amusement, as they were tired of seeing news on the TV 24 hours a day. All PTV and film archives would be available on PakFlix, and that individuals living outside Pakistan would benefit from the project, which was established to commemorate Pakistan’s 75th anniversary.
The Ministry of Information is establishing a film directorate to assist the industry’s producers, directors, and distributors. The film is a vital tool for promoting tourism, and the PTV Film Division’s principal goal is to promote tourism.
