Islamabad — 24 October 2025 — Pakistani filmmakers Sheryar Ali and Suhail Ahmad are representing Pakistan on the international festival circuit with two acclaimed short films that premiered to strong critical response.
A Door to My Memory (Yaadan de Boohay) is a Punjabi sci‑fi romantic drama that had its world premiere at the Tasveer Film Festival in Seattle, the only Oscar‑qualifying South Asian film festival. Directed by Sheryar Ali and produced by Suhail Ahmad, the film has been praised for its originality and emotional depth. Set in a dystopian future where memories are stored on external drives, the story follows Ashfaq, a 65‑year‑old man racing against dwindling memory space — a poignant metaphor for love, loss and human connection.
The film has since been officially selected at several Indian festivals, including the Bollywood International Film Festival and the International Kolkata Short Film Festival, and is now a semi‑finalist at the Global Taj International Film Festival.
Toxicity, co‑directed by Suhail Ahmad and Sheryar Ali, premiered at the Festival Internazionale Nebrodi Cinema Doc in Sicily. The short tackles Pakistan’s smog crisis through the story of two young entrepreneurs who risk everything to prove that clean energy can save lives as pollution suffocates Lahore. Toxicity was the only Pakistani entry at the Sicilian festival, received a nomination for Best Narrative Short and earned a Menzione d’Onore (Honourable Mention) from the jury.
Following these international screenings, the filmmakers are preparing local releases to bring both films to Pakistani audiences. The pair hope their work will not only showcase Pakistani storytelling on the world stage but also provoke local conversations about memory, climate and clean energy solutions relevant to cities like Lahore.
