LAHORE - The three-day third Faiz International Festival to promote art, culture and to highlight social issues will be held at Lahore Arts Council’s Alhamra halls on Mall Road from 17th to 19th.
Moneeza Hashmi, the trustee of Faiz Foundation Trust announced the dates of festival in a press conference held on Wednesday. “The main highlights of the event would be a performance by British singer Tanya Wells, famous for her renditions of Urdu Ghazals, a fusion of Pakistani and Syrian music by Nahel Al Halabi &Nafees Ahmed. A session with Palestinian architect Shatha Safi and Kamran Lashari.
“Mahira Khan will again participate in the festival and tell us about her upcoming film Verna. For the first time there will be a conversation with Bushra Ansari. The festival will be a treat for everyone and a step to revive Pakistani culture,” Moneeza said.
Faiz Foundation chairperson Salima Hashmi praised Lahore Arts Council for playing a significant role in promoting cultural activities. “We are proud that it always supports Faiz Festival. The festival is a perfect medium to spread the message of political struggle, social justice, peace and love that Faiz always stood for. More such events should be held as the overall cultural situation needs drastic improvement,” she said.
Actor Adeel Hashmi said the festival will feature interesting drama, music, and poetry sessions. “Panel discussion by national and international personalities will be held under one roof,” he said. The festival will include sessions with literary stalwarts like Zehra Nigah, Pran Nevile, Harris Khalique, Mustansar Hussain Tarrar, Asghar Nadeem Syed, Musharraf Ziadi and Salman Rashid. Film makers like Shan Shahid, Jawed Sheikh, Sarmad Khoosat, Nabeel Qureshi, Jami and Bilal Sami will delight the audience in the sessions.
Delegates and performers will travel from across Pakistan and abroad to attend the event, including eminent politicians, musicians, film makers, actors, dramatists, dance exponents, visual artists, writers, poets, scholars, journalists, human rights activists and analysts.
Free performance include a play by Ajoka, a classical eastern music performance by the Tarz Orchaestra, two Punjabi plays by the Sangat theatre group, dramatic reading by Zambeel, classical musical night with Shafqat Ali Khan, a children folk music performance by Lok Virsa, poetry reading by Adeel Hashmi with western classical music on piano, dance performance by Farah Yasmeen and Tina Sani will also perform a live concert.
