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DUBAI: Irish post-punk band Fontaines DC played a sold-out concert in London’s Finsbury Park on Saturday night during which the words “Free Palestine” and “Israel is committing genocide” were projected onto screens. 

Lead singer Grian Chatten performed in front of the 45,000-strong crowd dressed in a kilt and a Sinead O’Connor t-shirt, the Independent reported. 

A piece of music equipment on the north London stage was wrapped in a Palestinian flag and “Israel is committing genocide. Use your voice” came up on the screens after the last song. 

The show comes after multiple artists voiced support for the people of Palestine at the Glastonbury music festival in June.

Last week, the US revoked entry visas for members of British punk-rap duo Bob Vylan following their Glastonbury Festival set, during which frontman Bobby Vylan led the crowd in a controversial chant against Israel’s military.

Performing on the festival’s West Holts Stage on Saturday, the artist shouted “Free, free Palestine” before encouraging the audience to chant, “Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defense Forces).” Video of the moment quickly spread online, sparking backlash.

Meanwhile, Irish rap group Kneecap drew one of the festival’s largest crowds at the West Holts Stage. Dozens of Palestinian flags flew in the crowd as the show opened with an audio montage of news clips referring to the band’s critics and legal woes.

Between high-energy numbers that had fans forming a large mosh pit, the band members — sporting keffiyehs — led the audience in chants of “Free Palestine” and “Free Mo Chara.” They also aimed an expletive-laden chant at UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has said he didn’t think it was “appropriate” for Kneecap to play Glastonbury.

One member wore a T-shirt emblazoned with “We Are All Palestine Action,” referencing the direct-action network that targets arms factories supplying Israel.

ISLAMABAD: Two Pakistani films, Nayab and Deemak, have won major accolades at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Film Festival in China, state-run news agency APP reported on Monday. 

The festival showcased 27 films from SCO member states, including China, Russia, Pakistan, India, and Central Asian countries. Organized to foster regional cinematic exchange, the event featured screenings, industry forums, a film technology expo, and a gala concert, with awards presented in ten categories.

The SCO Film Festival first launched in 2018 and is a cultural initiative of the multilateral bloc to promote cooperation in cinema and the creative industries among member countries. 

“Pakistani film Nayab and Deemak received prestigious ‘Jury Special Award’ and ‘Best Editing Award’ respectively at the colorful concluding ceremony of SCO film festival held at Chongqing, China,” Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

Nayab, released in 2024, is a sports-drama centered on a young woman from Karachi, played by Yumna Zaidi, who aspires to become a professional cricketer despite intense family and societal opposition. The cast includes Fawad Khan, Javed Sheikh, and Adnan Siddiqui.

The film has previously won multiple awards, including Best Foreign Film and Best First-Time Filmmaker (Feature) at the World Film Festival in Cannes, and a Special Jury Diploma at the 30th Minsk International Film Festival.

“The cinema was packed, and what truly moved me was how deeply they engaged with the film,” Nayab’s director Umair Nasir Ali told APP after the film’s screen at the SCO festival. “They picked up on the layers, the emotional arcs and asked thoughtful, relevant questions that showed how closely they had followed the story.”

Deemak is a psychological horror film directed by Rafay Akbar Rashdi and starring Soniya Hussyn, Faysal Quraishi, Samina Peerzada, and Bushra Ansari. 

Set in an aging home haunted by unexplained phenomena, the film explores family tensions and mental trauma. It became Pakistan’s highest-grossing horror film when it released earlier this year, earning over Rs60 million [$211,173] in its opening week.

Pakistan’s film industry has seen a steady resurgence in recent years, with a new generation of filmmakers experimenting with genres from sports dramas to horror and social realism. 

Joyland (2022) became the first Pakistani feature to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section, and was later selected as Pakistan’s official entry to the Oscars. The country has also received two Academy Award wins in the documentary short category by filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. 

Meanwhile, The Legend of Maula Jatt (2022) set new box office records, becoming Pakistan’s highest-grossing film to date and finding global audiences with its big-budget, Punjabi-language action storytelling.