Attaullah Tarar orders revival of PTV Drama and Film Academy

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Monday directed the formulation of a comprehensive strategy to revive the Pakistan Television (PTV) Drama and Film Academy as a modern training institution aimed at equipping young people with professional skills in filmmaking, drama production and digital content creation. He issued the directives while chairing a high-level meeting to review plans for the revival of the academy and revamping of PTV Home through specialised training programmes, modern technical facilities and industry-oriented learning models. Federal Secretary for Information Ashfaq Ahmed Khalil and senior officials of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting attended the meeting. The meeting reviewed various training models proposed in collaboration with the private sector, focusing on providing hands-on professional training to young people while creating new revenue opportunities for Pakistan Television. Tarar said the revival of the academy and revamping of PTV Home were part of the government's commitment to promoting the country's media and creative industries. He said Pakistan was introducing an advanced training programme in colour grading for the first time, noting that professionals previously had to travel abroad to acquire specialised training and access modern facilities in the field. He added that locally available advanced colour-grading facilities would provide the film industry and private sector with access to modern technical resources, helping improve the quality of Pakistani filmmaking. The minister directed officials to launch a transparent and practical pilot project in partnership with the private sector to ensure that training programmes remained aligned with evolving industry requirements. He said equipping young people with practical skills in filmmaking, drama production, editing, colour grading and digital content creation was among the government's key priorities. The meeting also reviewed proposals for establishing modern classrooms and studio laboratories, installing student workstations, appointing technical staff and trainers, and developing a comprehensive curriculum. Tarar said students would receive training in a professional environment equipped with modern editing suites, studio laboratories and technical equipment. He emphasised that the programmes would go beyond theoretical learning by incorporating practical assignments, project development and portfolio building to enhance participants' professional capabilities. The minister further said young people's creative projects would be encouraged for PTV News, PTV Home and other Pakistan Television platforms, providing emerging talent with opportunities to showcase their work. He said the initiatives would help strengthen the country's film and drama industry by developing a skilled workforce, introducing advanced technical expertise and making modern production facilities available locally. He added that efforts would also be made to ensure the financial sustainability of the PTV Academy as it transformed into an effective professional training centre.