Karachi Frames 2026, an animation event organized by the Centre of Excellence in Gaming and Animation, brought more than 500 attendees and more than 30 studio founders together for a day of showcases, competitions and industry networking. The organizers described it as Karachi’s biggest animation event, and they ran it with the Ministry of IT and Telecom, Ignite and HUM Network, the three partners behind the centre. The day was built around connecting artists, students and studios, with the stated aim of collaborating and empowering the future of Pakistan’s animation industry. The organizers said the turnout and the quality of the work set a new benchmark for the country’s growing creative ecosystem, though the announcement did not give the event’s date or venue.
Competition was a central part of the program. More than 120 submissions were entered across multiple categories, and PKR 125,000 was awarded to top talent in two contests, The Aniverse and BrandCanvas. The announcement did not say what each competition asked of entrants, how the prize money was divided or who won, so the results are not yet public. Alongside the contests, panels and spotlight sessions covered industry trends and the integration of artificial intelligence into animation work, and they featured showcases from artists and leading studios. A segment called Frames Check offered one on one portfolio reviews with industry professionals, which gave younger artists direct feedback from people who hire and work with animators, while an exhibition floor displayed work by local creative talent.
The event grew out of a government backed push to build the sector. The Centre of Excellence in Gaming and Animation was launched in 2025 with an investment of Rs2.52 billion, administered by the Ignite National Technology Fund and executed by HUM Network, and it aims to incubate 200 startups and train 10,000 young people over five years. Its first cohort included 22 startups across Karachi and Lahore. The centre has run similar gatherings elsewhere, including a Lahore Frames animation meetup earlier in 2026, so the Karachi edition continues a series of community events as well as training programs. The announcement thanked the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication, Ignite and Federal Minister Shaza Khawaja, along with HUM Network, Techsol Space, Sablo Studio, Section Soft and the LUMS Center for Entrepreneurship, which are consortium partners in the centre, and it named Syed Bilal Qasim and Zehra Qazizada.
For a sector that is still taking shape in Pakistan, events of this kind serve several purposes. Studio founders meet potential collaborators and clients, artists see where their skills fit in the industry and students find out what employers look for in a portfolio. The numbers reported here, with hundreds of attendees, dozens of founders and more than a hundred entries, suggest that Karachi has a sizeable base of people interested in animation. What the announcement leaves open is what follows from the day, such as whether studios hired from the portfolio reviews, whether any competition entries move into production or whether the event will return next year. The organizers thanked everyone who took part and called the day a grand success.
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