Punjab Film City in Lahore to open on 15 December; Rs 589 million budget and royalty law for artists

Punjab Film City in Lahore is due to be inaugurated on 15 December 2026, Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said after chairing the first meeting of the new Punjab Film Authority on Sunday 25 October, ARY News reported. She said preparations for the opening were complete. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has also approved drafting what the provincial government calls Pakistan's first royalty law for artists.

What was decided on Sunday

• Opening date: 15 December 2026.
• Budget: a proposed Rs 589 million for the Film City Authority was sent to the finance committee for review. It is not yet approved.
• Staff: 26 posts approved for hiring in the first phase, against 53 vacancies.
• Next meeting: a film rebate framework, a scheme that returns part of a production's spending to the producer, is to be presented next week.

What the film city is meant to include

According to the plan presented at the meeting:

• a studio complex with modern sound stages and a post-production facility;
• a film and music school, with training for young filmmakers led by international experts;
• a film trading house where producers and distributors can do business;
• what the government describes as the largest convention centre in Punjab;
• restoration of old cinema halls, with solar power and online ticketing;
• a single-window online platform where filmmakers choose shooting locations and get permits.

The government has not said exactly where in Lahore the film city stands, how big the site is, or what studio space will cost to hire. We will add those details when the authority publishes them.

Why it matters for Pakistani film and TV

Lahore was the home of Lollywood, and most of the country's film production has drifted to Karachi over the past two decades, along with the TV drama industry. Producers have long asked for proper sound stages, a rebate on spending and a single office for shooting permits, all of which appear in this plan. A royalty law would give actors, singers and writers a share of income each time their work is aired or streamed again, a demand Pakistani artists have raised for years, though its terms are still to be drafted.

For now, the 15 December date and the Rs 589 million figure are the two numbers to watch: the first is an inauguration, and the second still needs the finance committee's approval.

More from the industry is in our entertainment section, and news from the city is in our Lahore coverage.