Karachi: British Pakistani filmmaker Seemab Gul’s feature film Ghost School is set to reach cinemas across Pakistan following its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2025.
The 88 minute Urdu language drama will be screened at selected Cinepax locations in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat and Sialkot, according to the announced cinema list.
The film centres on Rabia, a 10 year old girl played by Nazualiya Arsalan, who begins investigating the sudden closure of her school in a rural Pakistani village.
As rumours spread that her teacher has been possessed by a jinn, Rabia questions the explanations adults offer and tries to understand why the school has stopped operating.
Her mother, played by Samina Seher, struggles to raise her daughter alone and cannot pursue answers about the closure.
Rabia's investigation gradually exposes a wider set of problems involving local power structures, misinformation, bureaucratic indifference and the lack of accountability surrounding rural education.
Rather than presenting the mystery solely as a supernatural story, Ghost School examines how superstition and fear can obscure institutional failures and discourage communities from questioning those in authority.
The film also addresses gender inequality, feudal influence and the challenges faced by children seeking access to education in underserved areas.
According to TIFF's official description, the narrative follows Rabia as she encounters people from different social and economic backgrounds while searching for answers.
The festival highlighted the film's use of rural landscapes, restrained storytelling and a child's perspective to examine broader social and political issues.
Ghost School had its world premiere at TIFF in 2025, where it was presented as a coming of age drama directed by a woman filmmaker.
Gul, a London based British Pakistani writer, director and producer, studied fine art before completing a master's degree in filmmaking at the London Film School.
Her previous short films include Overtime (2011), One Day in Whitechapel (2015), Zahida (2018) and Sandstorm (2021).
Her filmmaking work spans documentary and fiction, with recurring attention to social structures, political conditions and the experiences of marginalised communities.
The planned Pakistani release will bring Ghost School to domestic cinema audiences after its international festival premiere.
Announced screening venues include Cinepax Ocean Mall in Karachi, Amanah Mall and Packages Mall in Lahore, WTC in Islamabad, Jinnah Park in Rawalpindi, Hotel One in Faisalabad, Kings Mall in Gujranwala, Nayyar Mall in Gujrat and Mall of Sialkot.
Further information about screening dates, showtimes and ticket reservations is expected from the cinema operator and film distributors.
