KHUDA KAY LIYE (2007)

It was the film that flagged off the revival of Pakistani cinema. Director Shoaib Mansoor's take on Muslims in post-9 /11 US was pertinent and interesting. It showed how liberal-minded Pakistani youths are brainwashed by radical clerics. Deeply critical of religious zealots and of the US' response to American Muslims, it was applauded the world over

ZIBAHKHANA (2007)

A slasher film by an Islamad cafe owner Omar Ali Khan, Zibahkhana or Hell's Ground was Pakistan's first horror movie in a generation. Khan, a horror-movie fanatic who went to film school in the US, wanted his first full-length feature to be a tribute to the formative films of his youth like Psycho, and Evil Dead. It earned two international awards as well

RAMCHAND PAKISTANI (2008)

It's a true story of an eight-year-old Pakistani Dalit boy and his father who accidentally cross into India. The movie, directed by Mehreen Jabbar, chronicles their life in a Gujarati jail while the wife and mother slowly rebuilds her life in Pakistan. Nandita Das was the only Indian in a large Pakistani ensemble. The film released simultaneously in India and Pakistan

SLACKISTAN (2010)

Made by London-based independent filmmaker Hammad Khan, Slackistan released in the UK in May 2010 but couldn't find a release in Pakistan due to objectionable scenes. It offers a glimpse into the lives of Pakistan's young and privileged as they drift around in a rarefied world of cars, dating, drinking and parties. The promotional blurb of the film is: Think you know Pakistan. Think again. Though cinematically the movie was weak, it did manage to garner a lot of international interest

SOLE SEARCH (2010)

This short film by Shahbaz Hamid Shigri and Aisha Linnea Akhtar is about an American-born Pakistani who returns to Islamabad for his winter break. Venturing out into Jinnah Market to find a pair of knock-off Nike shoes, he comes across 'Candy bhai', a fast talking, street smart, likeable meanie. The unlikely duo is stuck with each other for the night as we get a peek inside the world of a 'Jinnah-boy'. Candy Bhai will return in another slick full-length film, Gol Chakkar

BOL (2011)

After tackling terrorism in his last movie, Shoaib Mansoor returns with Bol, which takes a look at the domestic concerns of people living in Pakistan. It highlights the regressive attitude towards women in a male-dominated society that offers women no rights when it comes to choosing their life partner, education or even whether they want children

NEITHER THE VEIL NOR THE FOUR WALLS

Inspired by true events in Pakistan, the story is about a young mother, Allah Rakhi, married to a much older man Daulat Khan, and her eight-year-old daughter, Zainab. Zainab's marriage is fixed to a local warlord but Allah Rakhi plots a daring escape on the eve of the wedding. The movie, directed and written by Afia Nathaniel, has made waves and won rave reviews on the festival circuit but awaits a release date. Abbhay Deol is executive producer