Rūng Film Fest

08/04/2025

Dear friends and fans,

After the phenomenal success of Rung Film Festival 2025, we’re thrilled to announce that Rung Film Festival 2026 is now open for submissions! https://filmfreeway.com/RungFilmFestival

We’re inviting filmmakers and creatives from around the world to share their cinematic vision. Whether you’re an emerging talent or an established professional—director, producer, actor, or crew member—of Pakistani heritage or telling stories that explore Pakistani experiences, we welcome you to showcase your work to an engaged audience and industry peers. Starting 2026, we are also accepting films made in all languages of Pakistan.

Selected films will screen at the Rung Film Festival on May 16 & 17, 2026, at MATCH Houston, in the creative heart of Houston, TX. All entries will be considered for both the Grand Jury Awards and the Audience Choice Awards.

Have a wonderful experience to share from a past Rung Film Fest? Have a question about RFF 2026? Drop us a note at [email protected]. We can't wait to hear from you!

Wishing you the best of luck with your submissions,

Tayyba Kanwal
RFF Newsletter Editor

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Video Highlights Rūng Film Fest 2025

04/27/2025

🏆 Audience Choice Award Winner for Best Documentary: This World 🏆

Congratulations to director Shiraz Ahmed and the team behind This World for winning the Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary at Rūng Film Festival 2025!

This powerful documentary follows young adult Muslims in the New South as they bond, build community, and navigate what it means to hold faith and forge their American identity during times of conflict and uncertainty. This World captures resilience, identity, and hope in the face of global and personal challenges.

We were honored to screen This World at MATCH Houston during this year's festival. Thank you to our audience for connecting so deeply with this important story!

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04/27/2025

🏆 Audience Choice Award Winner for Best Short Film: Hot Soup 🏆

Congratulations to director Abdullah Shahid and the team behind Hot Soup for winning the Audience Choice Award for Best Short Film at Rūng Film Festival 2025!

This charming and heartfelt short film follows two Pakistanis living in New York who meet on an arranged marriage ‘date’ to see if they are a match. Through their encounter, Hot Soup explores connection, tradition, and the modern diaspora experience with humor and warmth.

We were thrilled to screen Hot Soup at MATCH Houston during this year's festival. Thank you to our audience for showing so much love to this delightful story!

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04/27/2025

🏆 Audience Choice Award Winner for Best Feature Film: Make It Look Real 🏆

Congratulations to director Danial Shah and the team behind Make It Look Real for winning the Audience Choice Award for Best Feature Film at Rūng Film Festival 2025!

This beautifully crafted film takes us inside a local photo studio in Pakistan — a vibrant cultural space where dreams, identity, and community converge. Through a partnership between a displaced filmmaker and a photographer yearning for a new life abroad, Make It Look Real captures the powerful stories behind every image and the complex realities shaping them.

We were proud to screen Make It Look Real at MATCH Houston during this year's festival. Thank you to our audience for embracing this poignant story with your votes!

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04/27/2025

🏆 Grand Jury Award Winner for Best Documentary: Azam-E-Kuhaan (A Woman of Courage) 🏆

Congratulations to director Sapna Zamir and the team behind Azam-E-Kuhaan (A Woman of Courage) for winning the Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary at Rūng Film Festival 2025!

This inspiring documentary shines a light on the incredible journey of a resilient woman from Gilgit, Pakistan — from founding a women's support organization to pioneering innovative farming practices like honey production and new crops. Her courage, strength, and perseverance not only transformed her own life but uplifted her entire community.

We were honored to screen Azam-E-Kuhaan at MATCH Houston during this year's festival. Thank you to everyone who witnessed this powerful story of hope and change with us!

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04/27/2025

🏆 Grand Jury Award Winner for Best Short Film: Stalled 🏆

Congratulations to director Michael Lazovsky and the team behind Stalled for winning the Grand Jury Award for Best Short Film at Rūng Film Festival 2025!

This powerful short tells the story of Imran, a young man navigating a personal crisis in the California desert, just hours before reuniting with his family on Chaand Raat. With his friend Maalik by his side, Stalled captures the emotional complexity of identity, family, and resilience.

We were proud to screen Stalled at MATCH Houston during this year's festival. Thank you to everyone who shared in this moving experience with us!

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04/27/2025

🏆 Grand Jury Award Winner for Best Feature Film: Paper Flowers 🏆

Congratulations to director Mahesh Pailoor and the entire team of Paper Flowers for winning the Grand Jury Award for Best Feature at Rūng Film Festival 2025!

This heartfelt and inspiring film moved our audience deeply, telling the true story of Shalin Shah — a young changemaker whose journey reminds us all to cherish every moment, even in the face of life's greatest challenges.

We were honored to screen Paper Flowers at MATCH Houston during this year's festival. Thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating this beautiful story of love, legacy, and living fully in the now.

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