The Women International Film Festival (WIFF) is set to return to Islamabad on February 14 and 15 for its landmark 10th edition, marking a decade of women-led cinema in Pakistan. The two-day event will take place at the Silk Road Culture Centre, the city where the festival first began, and will feature screenings, discussions, and networking opportunities from 4pm to 9pm on both days.
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Organised by the women-led community organisation Women Through Film, this year’s edition — dubbed WIFFX — will showcase a curated slate of films that reflect the festival’s commitment to women’s narratives. Day one will screen nine films, including Seemab Gul’s Ghost School and Javeria Waseem’s A B C, while day two will feature 13 films, such as Aisha Hamid’s Ponytail and Mahsa Ahmadzadeh’s Hidden Moon. Early bird registrations are already open for audiences.
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Founded in 2017, WIFF was created to address the lack of authentic representation of women’s stories in Pakistani cinema, providing a platform where female filmmakers could express themselves and connect with audiences. Over the years, the festival has grown from a small, community-driven initiative into the country’s longest-running women’s international film festival, expanding into multi-city editions in Karachi, Lahore, and Peshawar, with support from partners including the European Union, the German Embassy, and the British Council.
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Festival director Madeeha Raza said WIFFX is both a milestone and a homecoming, highlighting the community that supported the festival in its early years. “This edition reflects our ongoing commitment to women-centred storytelling, collaboration, and social-impact cinema,” Raza added. The festival aims to celebrate female perspectives without turning the occasion into a glossy anniversary spectacle, remaining true to its origins as a platform for the “raw power of the female gaze.”