**Karachi Hosts the World Culture Festival 2025**
The Arts Council of Pakistan (Karachi) is bringing together more than 800 artists for the World Culture Festival 2025, to be hosted in the vibrant city by the sea. Gathering voices, movements, and colours from across the world, the event is a grand celebration of diversity through performance, sound, and visual expression. It showcases creativity that fosters understanding across cultures.
Pakistan’s representation is extensive and varied. Musicians such as Akbar Khamiso Khan, Akhtar Chanal, Asim Azhar, Bilal Saeed, Imran Momina (Emu), Lutaf Ali, Mai Dhai, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Ustad Abdullah Khan, Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, Izat Fateh Ali Khan, Ustad Nafees Khan, and Wahab Bugti reflect the richness of the country’s artistic landscape. From folk and classical to contemporary sounds, their performances connect generations and traditions.
Theatre highlights include works by Fawad Khan, Khaled Anam, and Khalid Ahmed, representing Pakistan’s growing stage culture. Adding further depth to the artistic authenticity, classical and contemporary dance performances by Sheema Kermani and Nighat Chaudhry will captivate audiences. Together, these artists capture the energy of Pakistan’s creative identity, where cultural heritage and self-expression coexist harmoniously.
Beyond Pakistan, the festival features a diverse range of international talent across multiple disciplines. Groups such as 7 Spices, Anikaya, Ballet Beyond Borders, Barcelona Repertory, Bedaya Group, CirkBizArt, Eurythmy West Midlands, Inkaba Creative Arts House, Khalaha Theatre, Lidia Kopina and Veronika Berashe Vich, Mine Nur Sen, Ozlem, Sahar Assaf, Sakai International, Scalambra, Soky Productions, Spirit Sisters, Stages Theatre Group, The Freedom Theatre, Umunyinya Theatre Company, University of Diyala, and Wava Theatre will bring unique traditions, languages, and storytelling forms to Karachi audiences.
The global music lineup equally reflects this diversity, featuring artists including Adiga Music Band, Arthur Ban, Ashraf Sharif Khan, Diana Baroni, Erica Lauren, Eva Klesse Quartet, Farah Baba Orchestra, Fariya Chaudhuri, Jay-C Val, Kenta Shoji, Liboi, Lucy Tasker, Madan Gopal, Mixwell, Mrs Georgiana Costea Gluga, Nawal, Ricardo Passos, Sahib Pashazade and Kamran Kerimov, Sarah Dillamore, Shireen Jawad, Sh-oomb, Tommy Hill, Veronika, Vicente, Viktor Marek, and Zouratie Kone. Their participation promises beautiful rhythms and melodies that dissolve cultural distances through shared sound.
Dance remains a key element of the festival’s programme. Performers such as Anisha Thai, CayenaColfolk, Don Sen, Haraka, Lapa Dance Company, Navid Rezvani, and Shaam will each bring their unique movements to the stage, telling compelling stories through rhythm and dance.
Visual artists including Adjaratou Mariam Ableusi Ouedraogo, Adrian Bojko, Bubly Barna, Chifumi, Domi Forest, Halldor, Kelechi Nwaneri, King Kesia, Luis M. S. Santos, Mendrika Ratsimandresy, Niharika Momtaz, Onesmus Okamar, Sinenkosi Msomi, Suborna Morsheada, Victoria Santos, and YAZ will showcase culture via distinct interpretations of identity and place, broadening the festival’s creative reach.
Film will be represented by Per Fikse, whose works add a cinematic dimension to the event.
The World Culture Festival 2025 demonstrates how art strengthens connections through empathy and shared imagination. Artistic expression communicates ideas and emotions often beyond words. It records struggle and achievement, reflecting the human desire to create meaning and beauty.
When you experience art, you participate in this global conversation. You learn from difference and recognize shared values across cultures. Through this gathering, the Arts Council of Pakistan (Karachi) reaffirms that culture is not a privilege but a living element of society. It shapes thought, sustains identity, and supports creativity.
This festival reminds audiences that art belongs to everyone and that diversity is not a division but a collective strength.
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**Moklani The Last Mohanas: Pakistan’s Historic Win at the Nature Oscars**
*Moklani The Last Mohanas*, directed and produced by Jawad Sharif, has made history as the first Pakistani feature film to win at the Jackson Wild Media Awards 2025. Often called the Nature Oscars, this event honours excellence in environmental and wildlife storytelling.
The win, announced on October 2 in Jackson, Wyoming, shines a global spotlight on Pakistan’s documentary cinema. The film tells the story of the Mohana community of Manchar Lake in Sindh, known as the boat people of Pakistan, who have lived on the waters for centuries.
Their lives move with the rhythm of the lake, but pollution, shrinking water levels, and the loss of traditional practices now threaten their survival. Sharif’s direction highlights the beauty of Manchar Lake while revealing the fragility of both nature and culture.
The film connects local realities with global environmental concerns, giving voice to marginalized communities rarely heard. Supported by the National Geographic Society and Climate Kahani, the project blends art and advocacy to raise awareness of Manchar Lake’s cultural and ecological importance.
Sharif expressed after receiving the award, “The award belongs to the Mohana people, whose stories deserve to be seen and heard beyond borders.”
The Jackson Wild Media Awards rank among the highest honours in conservation filmmaking. *Moklani* competed in the Global Voices category, which recognises underrepresented perspectives. Over 500 submissions were reviewed by more than 200 international judges in 2025.
This recognition places *Moklani* alongside leading environmental documentaries worldwide and highlights Pakistan’s growing presence in global storytelling. It underscores how local filmmakers contribute to vital discussions on climate and conservation.
For Pakistan, the award symbolizes more than a single success. It reflects the growth of the country’s creative industries and their rising international confidence.
From Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s Oscar-winning documentaries to *Joyland’s* global acclaim, Pakistani cinema continues to evolve. *Moklani* adds to this progress, proving the nation’s filmmakers can stand among the best.
Sharif noted on his company’s website, “This award is for every Pakistani storyteller who believes that film can be a tool for empathy and change.” His words echo a wider movement of filmmakers using documentaries to raise awareness and inspire action.
*Moklani’s* success showcases that documentary filmmaking in Pakistan is gaining momentum after years of limited support. The genre is increasingly recognized as a strong medium for storytelling, advocacy, and cultural preservation.
Sharif’s earlier acclaimed films, *Indus Blues* (2018) and *K2 & The Invisible Footmen* (2015), spotlighted indigenous art and unsung heroes. *Moklani* continues this mission, exploring the link between environment and identity.
The film’s strength lies in its quiet universality. Rooted in Pakistan but appreciated worldwide, it documents a community’s resilience and humanity. More than a film, *Moklani* preserves the story of the Mohanas and their water-bound world for future generations, capturing their culture, struggle, and hope amid environmental change.
As Pakistan expands its cultural presence globally, *Moklani* stands as proof of what is possible when storytelling meets purpose. It marks a defining moment for Pakistani cinema and for all those who use art to represent their communities.
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**Now Playing: Spotify Joins ChatGPT to Turn Chats into Playlists**
Imagine chatting about your day and, with a few words, discovering the perfect song to match your mood. This is now possible as Spotify integrates with ChatGPT, turning everyday conversations into gateways to new music.
The integration is live in English across 145 countries for ChatGPT Free, Plus, and Pro users on both web and mobile apps (iOS and Android). Whether you are a Free or Premium Spotify listener, you can now explore music simply by asking for it.
Just link your Spotify account to ChatGPT and start talking. You can request playlists to suit your mood, favourite genre, or a specific artist, and with a single tap, you’ll be listening directly in the Spotify app.
Spotify already operates on over 2,000 devices—from cars and TVs to smart speakers and home systems. With ChatGPT, this reach extends even further, making music discovery conversational and seamless.
Ask for new releases, hidden gems, or songs you once loved—it’s like having a personal DJ who understands what you mean, not just what you type.
For listeners, this integration provides a more direct way to find music. For artists, it offers a broader platform to reach new audiences.
“Spotify’s vision has always been to be everywhere you are,” said Sten Garmark, SVP, Global Head of Consumer Experience. “By bringing Spotify into ChatGPT, we’re creating a new way for fans to connect with the artists and creators they love, whenever inspiration strikes.”
Importantly, Spotify has confirmed that no music, podcasts, or other audio/video content will be shared with OpenAI for training purposes, ensuring artists and creators remain protected.
Music shapes how we experience moments. This collaboration makes conversation a bridge to sound, where every word can lead to something you love.
Talk about a song that takes you back, or describe a sound you’ve been missing, and Spotify in ChatGPT will find it in seconds.
The process feels effortless. Share your mood, plans, or even a fleeting thought, and the right track rises to meet it.
This integration blurs the line between dialogue and discovery, letting words lead you to rhythm. Spotify in ChatGPT transforms language into listening, keeping the focus on what matters: music that moves you.
It’s not just technology but a conversation that feels alive and human.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/1350275-the-sound-the-stage-the-story
