Cinegma Films — About

Karachi, Pakistan · Est. January 2024

Cinegma Films

Independent Pakistani cinema — built on the belief that our stories deserve to be told with intention, artistry, and without apology.

14+
Intl. Wins
22+
Global Selections
9
Countries
1
Year to Achieve It

The Company

Cinegma
Films LLC

Cinema as the medium. Enigma as the mystery within every frame.

Cinegma Films is an independent film production company founded in January 2024 and based in Karachi, Pakistan. Built around a single conviction — that Pakistani stories deserve to be told with precision, ambition, and without compromise — Cinegma Films operates as a creative home for narrative cinema that challenges, moves, and endures.

The name itself is a declaration of intent: Cinema as the medium, Enigma as the irreducible mystery at the heart of every frame. That philosophy shapes every production — from story selection to final color grade.

In its first year of operation, Cinegma Films produced work that screened across 9 countries, earned international recognition at festivals from Canada to India, Scotland to Kosovo, and achieved a theatrical release at Arena Cinemas, Karachi — an exceptional milestone for an independent student-led production company in Pakistan.

Cinegma Films operates across narrative short films, documentary, and is currently developing its first feature-length projects. The company also serves as a production arm for Silverlight Studios under Burrak Organization.

The Founder

Syed Asad Raza Abidi — Pakistani Filmmaker, Director, Karachi

Syed Asad Raza Abidi · Karachi, Pakistan

Syed Asad
Raza Abidi

Filmmaker · Director · Editor · Colorist · Founder

Born on December 9, 2001 in Karachi, Pakistan, Syed Asad Raza Abidi is an independent filmmaker, director, editor, colorist, and the founder of Cinegma Films LLC. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Film & TV Production from Indus University, Karachi (2025), where his passion for storytelling transformed into a precision craft refined through years of hands-on production.

He founded Cinegma Films in early 2024 — an independent production banner built on an uncompromising creative vision. His debut short film, Janjaal (Tussle), became one of the most decorated Pakistani short films in recent memory: shot in just 34 hours across Karachi, then directed, edited, color graded, VFX supervised, and mixed entirely in-house for a 5.1 surround theatrical presentation. Janjaal premiered at Arena Cinemas, Karachi on January 5, 2025 before travelling to film festivals across 9 countries.

Beyond Janjaal, Syed Asad has directed, edited, and color-graded multiple short films including Portrait of Life (2025, his thesis film), the upcoming psychological thriller Zawaal (2026), and Main Aur Achu (2024) — a Silverlight Studios production. He also directed and edited the documentary Urdu Bazaar Karachi, an intimate look inside the city's historic literary market.

In addition to Cinegma Films, he serves as Film Director and Editor at Burrak Organization's Silverlight Studios, where he leads production of narrative Islamic short content. He has also served as Director of Photography and Editor on Phir Se (7T7 Productions) and as Associate Director on Payam e Dil.

BS in Film & TV Production · Indus University, Karachi (2025)  ·  IMDb: nm16938510  ·  FilmFreeway

My vision was much bigger than what we could afford. But that limitation forced us to be more precise, more intentional with every frame. We had 34 hours to make something people would sit still for in a cinema — and they did.

— Syed Asad Raza Abidi, Director, Janjaal

Craft & Skills

01Direction Narrative · Performance-led 02Film Editing DaVinci Resolve 03Color Grading Film-influenced 04Sound Design 5.1 Surround 05VFX Purposeful 06Cinematography DP Credits 07Production End-to-end 08Drone Aerial 09Writing Portrait of Life & more

Awards & Selections

Every award and selection Cinegma Films has earned — achieved in just one year of operation.

🇵🇰
Best Director
Winner
IFF — Indus Film Festival · Pakistan
🇮🇳
Best Director
Winner
KISFF — Kolkata International Short Film Fest · India
🇮🇳
Best Short Film
Winner
KISFF — Kolkata International Short Film Fest · India
🇹🇷
Official Selection
Selection
IIFF — Islamabad International Film Festival · Turkey
🇽🇰
Official Selection
Selection
KYFF — Kosovo Young Filmmakers Film Festival · Kosovo
🇨🇦
Official Selection
Selection
TFSFS — Toronto Fantasy/SciFi Film Festival · Canada
🇨🇦
Best Short Film
Winner
TFSFS — Toronto Fantasy/SciFi Film Festival · Canada
🇵🇰
Best Short Film
Winner
PIFF — Pakistan International Film Festival
🇺🇸
Official Selection (Finale)
Selection
UAFF — Urbanite Art & Film Festival · New York, USA
🇵🇰
Official Selection
Selection
GIFF — Gandhara Independent Film Festival
🇵🇰
Best Short Film
Winner
GIFF — Gandhara Independent Film Festival
🇵🇰
Best Director
Winner
GIFF — Gandhara Independent Film Festival
🇵🇰
Best Director
Winner
Cedar Film Festival 2026 · Pakistan
🇵🇰
Best Film
Winner
Cedar Film Festival 2026 · Pakistan
🇵🇰
Best Short Film
Winner
Cedar Film Festival 2026 · Pakistan
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Best Trailer Award — Janjaal
Winner
TMFF · Scotland
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Nominee — Best Trailer — Portrait of Life
Nominee
TMFF · Scotland
🇵🇰
Best Editing Award
Winner
IU Film Fest 2025 · Pakistan
🇵🇰
Best Short Film — Mother
Winner
Cinephilia Flair IFF · Pakistan · 2024
🇵🇰
Best Director
Winner
Cinephilia Flair IFF Season 06 · Pakistan
🇮🇷
Official Selection — Mother
Selection
Sobh International Media Festival · Iran · 2025
🇪🇬
Official Selection — Mother
Selection
Egyptian American Film Festival · USA
🇪🇸
Official Selection — Portrait of Life
Selection
Anymusic Film Festival · Spain · 2025
🌐
Official Selection — Mother
Selection
The Short Film Channel · 2026

Press

Featured Article · OpenPR

Pakistani Short Film Director Syed Asad Raza Abidi Marks 14+ International Awards

Coverage of Cinegma Films' debut year — 14 international wins, 22 global selections, 9 countries — all within a single year of operation from Karachi, Pakistan.

Read Article →

Connect

Get In
Touch

For festival submissions, collaborations, press inquiries, or production partnerships — reach out through any of the channels below.


info@cinegmafilms.com