Rung Film Fest, Houston’s first Pakistani film festival, is attracting filmmakers from around the world
Rūng Film Festival
For three years, a Pakistani film festival in Houston has quietly been making big moves.
What started as a conversation between friends in 2023 has grown into Rūng Film Fest, Texas’ first Pakistani film festival, bringing filmmakers from across the world to Houston’s MATCH theaters.
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“We started thinking about why there’s a huge number of Pakistanis in Hollywood, but we don’t have a reason to come together,” Shahid Iqbal, co-founder of the festival, told Chron. “And that’s when we came up with the idea of doing a Pakistani-American film festival in Houston.”
Now heading into its third year, the festival returns on May 16-17 with screenings, panel discussions, filmmaker Q&As, networking, and an awards ceremony — a full weekend built around storytelling, representation, and community.
From idea to international reach
The response in its early days surprised even its founders.
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“By spring of 2024, we had received more than 100 films from all over the world,” Iqbal said. “That was very encouraging; we were just a brand-new festival.”
Since then, that momentum hasn’t slowed. Festival director Fahad Shaikh said submissions now consistently come from filmmakers already circulating through international festival circuits.
“Our lookout is always for the best quality film possible,” he said. “The films are judged through a pre-selection committee… acting-wise, cinematography-wise, the whole production value.”
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But the festival’s identity is clear: center Pakistani voices—wherever they exist.
“Our criteria is always that the film needs to have a Pakistani heritage background—in front of the camera or behind the camera,” Shaikh said.
That has led to a global mix. Past selections have included films made in Kazakhstan, Hong Kong and South Korea—all tied back to Pakistani creatives working across borders.
“It opened up the entire world of filmmaking and brought those people to Houston,” Iqbal said.
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More than a film festival
At its core, Rūng Film Fest is doing something bigger than screening films; it’s challenging perception.
“Ever since I’ve known Pakistanis in America, I’ve known them either as doctors or cab drivers,” Iqbal recalled one collaborator telling him years ago. “I’ve never met a Pakistani who was creative, let alone making a film.”
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“The more wider audiences know about Pakistanis,” Iqbal said. “We are creative also; we are writers, we are actors, we are directors, we are producers.”
For Shazi Iqbal, who recently joined the team as Rūng’s media coordinator, the festival is also about something more personal: identity.
“There’s people who mask themselves and their self-confidence because they get overshadowed,” she said. “This gives the platform to say — our stories matter, and you’re not a minority within a minority.”
What started as a conversation between friends in 2023 has grown into Rūng Film Fest, Texas’ first Pakistani film festival, bringing filmmakers from across the world to Houston’s MATCH theaters.
Rūng Film Festival
A Houston story
The festival’s growth mirrors Houston itself—diverse, global, and often underestimated.
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“We’re known for oil and gas and NASA,” Iqbal said. “But Houston is now coming up with a fourth personality: a city with lots of film festivals.”
That positioning matters, especially as Houston’s South Asian population continues to grow and shape the city’s cultural landscape. For attendees, the appeal is layered.
“People come for the films— films they won’t get anywhere else,” Iqbal said. “These films are not on Netflix; they’re unique.”
But just as important is the conversation —there’s the networking—connecting Houston creatives with filmmakers from New York, California and beyond.
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“We have panel discussions where we open up the mic… we let people say their mind however they want to express themselves,” he added.
Changing the narrative
Beyond representation, the festival is also tackling bigger themes — social impact, identity and how stories shape perception.
This year’s programming includes films addressing ageism, interracial relationships and broader cultural tensions.
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“There’s no better way to make social change than to tell the story,” Shazi Iqbal said.
For many involved, the mission is deeply personal.
“I was in a classroom when 9/11 happened,” she said. “I saw Pakistani kids ashamed to call themselves Pakistani and it broke my heart.”
That memory still drives the work today.
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“I want my grandkids to be proud of where they’re from,” she said. “This is a movement in that direction.”
What to watch
Among this year’s standout films is Indus Echoes, a feature-length Sindhi-language film, one of the first of its kind in decades.
“This is the first feature-length film in the Sindhi language coming out of Pakistan after more than three decades,” Iqbal said.
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The festival is also dedicating a full programming block to films by women filmmakers—something organizers say reflects a growing shift in who gets to tell these stories.
“The largest number of films that come to us are from female filmmakers of minority backgrounds,” Shaikh said.
A festival and a movement
Even as it grows, the festival remains grassroots. And three years in, Rūng Film Fest is proving that sometimes the most meaningful cultural movements don’t arrive loudly — they build steadily, until people start paying attention.
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“We’re all volunteers,” Shazi Iqbal said. “We just do it because we believe in the cause; when it succeeds, it’s better for all of us.”
And for those still on the fence about attending? It’s a very Houston answer — open, a little chaotic, and rooted in community.
“Even if you can’t buy a ticket, no worries—come on in,” Iqbal said. “We’ll give you a seat.”
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