GILGIT: Young storytellers from mountain regions across Pakistan brought their voices to the forefront at the Bam-e-Dunya Film Festival held at Karakoram International University (KIU) as part of International Mountain Day celebrations on Dec 11, 2025.
The event served as a platform for showcasing films that explore the lives, challenges, and changing climate of high-altitude communities.
The festival, organised with support from WWF-Pakistan, aimed to highlight both the beauty and vulnerabilities of Pakistan’s mountainous landscapes.
This year’s theme — “Glaciers Matter for Food, Water and Livelihood in the Mountains and Beyond” — focused on the critical role glaciers play in sustaining life and the increasing threats posed by climate change.
Filmmakers from Gilgit-Baltistan, Chitral, and Balochistan presented short films and documentaries on sustainable agriculture, cultural identity, climate resilience, and environmental protection.
Government officials, academics, community leaders, and media professionals attended the event, underscoring the growing interest in climate communication and youth-led storytelling.
The documentary competition drew diverse entries, with ‘Breath of Ice’ by Tanveer Alam securing first place. ‘She Can’ by Hafiza Ali won second, while ‘Soul of the Mountains’ by Sapna Zameer took third position.
All three films were praised for their compelling narratives and powerful visuals.
Special awards were presented to journalists reporting on climate change and glacier-related issues. Nadeem of Gilgit Media Network received the top award, followed by Shireen Karim of Women TV and Mubarak Hussain of Neo TV in second and third place, respectively.
