All Posts in "Month: May 2017"

 

[Karachi, May 19, 2017]: In an event held at the US Consulate, MCR (franchisee of Pizza Hut® Pakistan) announced signing an initial public offering and master franchise agreement and IPO proposal. MCR will be the first Pakistani international food chain to have done. With over 70 Pizza Hut® restaurants across the nation, it is the largest international fast food chain in Pakistan.

In addition, Aqueel Hassan, CEO of MCR, and Randall Blackford, Managing Director META Region of YUM! Brands, signed a master franchise agreement on behalf of the two companies giving MCR the rights to sub-franchise Pizza Hut® restaurants and expand even further.

The event was chaired by US Consul General Grace Shelton. Speaking at the occasion Consul General Shelton said, “Today we mark another successful American-Pakistani business partnership as we inaugurate this new partnership between Pizza Hut® and YUM! Brands, we are happy to celebrate Pizza Hut’s® growth as the largest restaurant chain in Pakistan”

Speaking on the occasion, Aqueel Hassan said, “We are proud to be embarking on this landmark expansion which takes forward our partnership with YUM! Brands. With 74 outlets operational countrywide, Pizza Hut® has become the first international food chain in the country that plans to go public and our next target is to take Pizza Hut® restaurants to many more districts of the country.”

Web Desk by — May 23, 2017 in News 0
UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND REALD ANNOUNCE THE MUMMY DAY ON SATURDAY, MAY 20th, 2017

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Karachi May 17, 2017—Universal Pictures announced The Mummy Day, inspired by the upcoming action-adventure, which will launch at 12 P.M. PDT on Saturday, May 20. Audiences of all ages are invited to visit the enormous 75-foot, 7-ton sarcophagus, which will be revealed at the Hollywood & Highland gateway in Los Angeles.

The Mummy star Tom Cruise will be joined on stage by his fellow co-stars and director Alex Kurtzman to invite participants to enjoy The Mummy VR Zero Gravity Stunt Experience and The Mummy Escape Game at the complex. Fans can tune in and watch the revealing live on The Mummy Official Facebook page and Fundago’s Facebook page.

The Mummy arrives in cinemas across Pakistan and worldwide on June 9th, 2017. The largest single vertical structure ever assembled at the gateway, The Mummy sarcophagus measures 75 feet in height, 28 feet in width and weighs an astonishing 15,000 pounds.

“The Mummy has been such a labor of love for the hundreds of cast and crew who have worked for the past few years preparing its big-screen launch,” said Alex Kurtzman, Producer and Director, The Mummy. “When we built Princess Ahmanet’s sarcophagus for production, we had no idea that a replica of her ‘eternal’ resting place would one day find its home at the intersection of Hollywood & Highland. I can’t wait to celebrate her story with the fans on May 20.”

“The Mummy is cinematically spectacular with extraordinary action and visuals that are even more stunning and memorable in 3D,” said Mohsin Yaseen, GM Marketing, Cinepax Cinemas. “Erecting a 75-foot tall, 7-ton sarcophagus at one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations is the perfect way to launch this epic event. The 3D in The Mummy is mind-blowing, and we can’t wait for audiences to experience it on one of our RealD-equipped screens worldwide.”

The Mummy Zero Gravity Stunt VR Experience goes behind the scenes with Cruise and Wallis as they perform the intense Zero G stunt as seen in The Mummy, allowing guests to experience the world of The Mummy in a way they could only imagine.

Moreover, In The Mummy Escape Game, an immersive live-action fan experience that also makes its world premiere at The Mummy Day, guests will be recruited as security guards and enter the sweeping story of The Mummy by travelling through multiple rooms to solve the puzzle and defeat the game.

The creative team on this action-adventure event is led by director/producer Alex Kurtzman and producer Chris Morgan, who have been instrumental in growing some of the most successful franchises of the past several years. The Mummy is being released in Pakistan by FootPrint Entertainment the movie distribution arm of Cinepax Cinemas on 09th June 2017.

Web Desk by — May 17, 2017 in Movies 0

Interwood is launched their Flagship store in Sector I-9 (Near I-9 Police Station) in Islamabad along with their newly developed Lifewares Catalogue on Monday 8th May. The store spreading over four floors (with each floor over 7000 Sqft) is beautifully designed and houses Home Furniture, Office Furniture, Kids Furniture, Laminate Flooring, Kitchens, Doors, Wardrobes and Home Accessories. The store has been aesthetically displayed keeping in mind the sophisticated market of Islamabad.

Lifewares, Interwood’s furniture brand that is growing to be one of the leading home furniture stores in the country, has been offering a unique spectrum of home décor items for both indoors and outdoors. Lifewares has proven itself as a one-stop brand on an unwavering mission to embed beauty and class in every nook & corner of Pakistani homes. It’s bed set collections, décor items, flooring solutions and dining sets have gained much popularity over the last 2 years capitalizing with exceptional customer service across the country.

Being on the forefront of customer convenience, Lifewares launches its very first furniture catalogue, a pioneering move that has not been done by any local furniture brand. The consolidated furniture catalogue is not only designed to give customers and homemakers complete guidance on the latest products, but is aimed to educate and broaden the creative potential of people looking to re-decorate, renovate or refurnish their homes. The initiative is based on the insight that customers lack exposure towards furnishing ideas and look up to interior designers or the Internet for solutions. The Lifewares Catalogue 2017 gives solutions and much needed information to people’s general concerns regarding room setups décor placement, price range and colour options through clear and elaborate master shots, which, in turn, makes customer decisions a breeze.

The launch event was scheduled to be held on this Monday at I-9 Flagship store from 6:30 p.m. onwards. Interwood planned on a fun night with stalls conducting fun activities for the whole family. Catalogues was handed out to selected participants. The I-9 Store launched and Lifewares Catalogue 2017 hopes to successfully bring color and convenience to people’s lives living in the capital city.

outlooktimes staff by — May 10, 2017 in News 0
Award-winning filmmaker Asim Abbasi continues shooting for his directorial debut feature film ‘Cake’ in London

%5bPress Release%5d Asim Abbasi continues shooting for his directorial debut feature film %27Cake%27 in London (1).jpg

[Karachi: May 8, 2017]: Award-winning filmmaker Asim Abbasi, will launch his directorial debut feature film titled ‘Cake’ in Cinemas at the end of this year. Set in the present-day world of Karachi and London, ‘Cake’ offers a heartfelt look at the realities of life and death, of past and present, of choices and consequences.

%5bPress Release%5d Asim Abbasi continues shooting for his directorial debut feature film %27Cake%27 in London (2).jpg

The film unfolds a story about the passage of time seen through the eyes of one family member to another. The cast is led by leading Pakistani actors Aamina Sheikh, Adnan Malik and Sanam Saeed. Last night, Executive Producer of ‘Cake’, Sayed Zulfiqar Bukhari hosted the cast, crew and many members of the film and creative fraternity to celebrate the beginning of the film’s London shoot. He comments “I have been watching the evolution of Pakistani cinema over the years and am excited to be a part of this project to showcase Pakistani talent to an international audience. Cake is a film about responsibility and choice’s according to Asim Abbasi, the writer & director of the film. ‘The story unravels layer by layer, as the characters confront past secrets and buried truths. Cake is directed by Asim Abbasi, with the screenplay also written by Asim Abbasi. The Director of Photography is Mo Azmi and Aarij Hashimi is the Production Designer.

The film is being produced by UK production company – Indus Talkies, with Mahnoor Amna Mahmood as the Associate Producer and Sayed Zulfiqar Bukhari as the Executive Producer. Cake will launch at the end of 2017.

outlooktimes staff by — May 8, 2017 in Movies 0
ARY FILM FESTIVAL 2017 CLOSES WITH A BANG

[Karachi, May 7th, 2017]: ARY Digital Network set forth the 1st ARY Film Festival which ended on 7th of May, 2017 with a star-studded closing night hosted by the multitalented Faysal Qureshi and the beautiful Madiha Imam.

The event was attended by the top celebrities and personalities of the media and film industry. Amazing performances by Sheema Kirmani, Sanam Marvi and Hamza Qawwal along with a stand-up comedy act by the social media star Danish Ali.

The 3 day festival screened 33 films, which were shortlisted from around 400 entries received from all over the world. The jury included local and international award winning filmmakers, writers and media personalities such as Anwar Maqsood, Khalil Nanitalwala, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, Marilyn Agrelo, Ram Kishore Parcha, John Gann, Andy Merkin, Jack McDonald and Amna Khan. The festival also came up with special screenings of internationally acclaimed films such as Maheen Zia’s ‘Lyari Notes’, ‘Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velazquez Story’ contributed by the American Film Showcase and Anjum Shehzad’s ‘Mah e Mir’. Additionally, Academy award winner Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy’s ‘Song of Lahore’ was also premiered at the festival.

Award for Best Story Feature Film was given to ‘Choora Ek Pratha’ and Best Short Film (Silver Category) to ‘Amrita & I’, both were screened in collaboration with Delhi International Film Festival. Seraj us Salikin won the award for Best Short Documentary for his film ‘Masters of the Sky’; whereas award for Best Director Short Documentary goes to Ali Ijaz for ‘Pangolins in Peril’. ‘In Search of America’ won the award for Best Short Film (Gold Category); Syed Fazal Hussain won the award of Best Actor (Short Film) for ‘Dil Tau Bacha Hai’. Best Documentary Feature award was given to ‘K2 & The Invisible Footmen’ and Maheen Zia’s ‘Lyari Notes’ won the Red Category Excellence in Documentary Feature. Purple Category Excellence in Documentary Feature was given to Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy for her film ‘Song of Lahore’. Anjum Shehzad’s ‘Mah e Mir’ won the award for Best Film – Feature.

Mr. Salman Iqbal, President & Founder, ARY Digital Network, in his message about the festival said “It has been our primary objective since the establishment of ARY Films to develop and foster the film industry in Pakistan. We have now embarked on yet another journey with the first ARY Film Festival, whereby we will provide a break to new and creative filmmakers from Pakistan and around the world to come showcase their talent and get known for their efforts. This is our first year for the festival and we intend to make it bigger and better in the years to come”.

Presented by Italiano and powered by Rooh Afza, the ARY Film Festival did special collaborations with American Film Showcase and Delhi International Film Festival. It was held from 4th to 6th May 2017 at the Cinepax Cinemas, Ocean Mall Karachi.

Web Desk by — May 8, 2017 in Events 0

[Karachi, May 3rd, 2017]: ARY Digital Network is pleased to announce the 1st ARY Film Festival to be held in Karachi from May 4 – 6, 2017 (5:00 pm onwards). Presented by Italiano and powered by Rooh Afza, the film festival will be happening at the Cinepax Cinemas, Ocean Mall Karachi.

The films being showcased are as follows:

  • Choora Ek Pratha,
  • Mabel aur Mein
  • 100 Steps Sou Qadam
  • Ek Pao Dahi
  • Pannah
  • Speechless
  • Taqseem
  • Gubbare
  • Firaaq
  • Kahaani
  • Darba
  • Dil Tau Bacha Hai
  • Bits of What I Have
  • 6 Cup Chai
  • Black Square
  • Toba Tek Singh
  • Taweez
  • Kathputli
  • In Search of America Insha Allah
  • Main aur Amrita
  • FEICA A Life with Cartoons
  • The Preservation of Art of Pottery Making
  • Fakir
  • Sindh Munjhi Maa
  • Sandriders
  • Pangolins in Peril A story of Rare Scales
  • Masters of the Sky
  • Shuwanag The Baloch Shepherd
  • K2 and the Invisible Footmen

Apart from the above regular entries, the festival is also coming up with special screenings of internationally appreciated films such as Maheen Zia’s ‘Lyari Notes’, ‘Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velazquez Story’ contributed by the American Film Showcase and Anjum Shehzad’s ‘Mah e Mir’. Academy award winner Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy’s ‘Song of Lahore’ will also be premiered at the festival.

Mr. Salman Iqbal, President & Founder, ARY Digital Network, in his message regarding the festival said “It has been our foremost endeavor to develop and nurture the film industry in Pakistan. We have now embarked on yet another journey in the same direction, the ARY Film Festival, whereby we will provide an opportunity to new and creative filmmakers from Pakistan and around the world to come showcase their talent and get recognized for their efforts. This is our first year for the festival and we intend to make it bigger and better in the years to come”.

hsohu by — May 3, 2017 in Movies 0