Cinema of Pakistan

Cinema of Pakistan
No. of screens	473 theaters (2024)[1][2]
Main distributors	ARY Films Hum Films Geo Films Urdu 1 Pictures Six Sigma Plus Eveready Pictures One Films A-Plus Films Dawn Films
Produced feature films (2023)[3]
Total	100+
Number of admissions
Total	250,000,000

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The film industry of Pakistan, consisting of motion pictures, has had a large effect on Pakistani society and culture since the nation's independence. Pakistani cinema is made up of various sub-industries, including Lollywood, which makes motion pictures in Urdu and Punjabi. Lollywood is one of the biggest film industries in the country.^[4]

Pakistani cinema includes films made in various Pakistani languages, which reflects the linguistic diversity of the country itself. The largest language-based film industries in the country include Punjabi, Urdu, Pashto, Sindhi and Balochi cinema.

Pakistani cinema has played an important part in the country's culture. In recent years, it has begun flourishing again after years of decline, catering to audiences in Pakistan and expatriates abroad. Several film industries are based in Pakistan, which tend to be regional and niche in nature.

In 2022, Joyland became the first Pakistani film to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival. It was also selected as the nation's entry for Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards and was shortlisted for the award.^[5]

Over 14,000 Urdu feature films have been produced in Pakistan since 1948, as well as over 10,000 inPunjabi, over 8,000 in Pashto, over 4,000 in Sindhi, and 1,000 in Balochi. The first film ever produced in Pakistan was Husn Ka Daku in 1929, directed by Abdur Rashid Kardar in Lahore. The first ever Pakistani-film produced was Teri Yaad, directed by Daud Chand in 1948.^[6]

Between 1947 and 2007, Pakistani cinema was predominantly based in Lahore, home to the nation's largest film industry (nicknamed Lollywood).^[7] Pakistani films during this period attracted large audiences and had a strong cult following. They were a part of the mainstream culture, and were widely available and imitated by the masses. During the early 1970s, Pakistan was the world's fourth-largest producer of feature films.^[8]

However, martial laws, strengthening of censorship laws, and lowered quality-standards meant that the second half of this time period, between 1977 and 2007, saw a decline in the industry's output and impact. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the film industry went through several periods of ups and downs, a reflection of its dependency on state funding and incentives. By 2000, the film industry in Lahore had collapsed and saw a gradual shift of Pakistani actors, actresses, producers and filmmakers from Lahore to Karachi.

By 2007, the wounds of Pakistan's collapsed film industry began to heal and Karachi had cemented itself as the new center of Pakistani cinema. Over the subsequent years, a new generation of producers entered the industry, bringing developments such as novel storylines, shorter films, and new technology. This led to the popularity of an alternative form of Pakistani cinema. The shift has been seen by many as the leading cause for what has been referred to as the "resurgence of Pakistani cinema".^[9] Despite the crisis starting in the mid-1970s, Pakistani films have retained much of their distinctive identity, and since the shift to Karachi, they have regained their following.^[10][11]