Develop the voice.
Strengthen the craft.
Support Pakistani storytellers through film education, mentorship, screenplay development and collaborative practice.
Reel 02 · AboutThe story behind the wider screen
The story behind the wider screen.
The ambition is international. The starting point is personal: a storyteller, a discipline, and the opportunity to develop both.
Our purpose
The future of cinema is a question of people.
A stronger film industry begins with stronger creative foundations. Ideas need development. Skills need practice. Talent needs informed feedback, professional relationships, and room to grow.
Lollywood to Hollywood is part of Hummingbird Art & Culture Foundation Ltd., with execution by Hummingbird Film Studios Inc.. Its purpose is to support the long-term development of Pakistan's film industry by investing in the people behind the stories. Its framework connects education, mentorship, industry engagement, and cultural exchange into a shared direction.
Why the name
A road that runs in both directions.
Lollywood is the long-standing name for Pakistan's film industry, which grew up around the studios of Lahore. Hollywood represents the international ambition in the initiative's name.
The name does not describe leaving one for the other. It describes a road between them, one that carries stories, skills, and people in both directions. Pakistan Youth Cinema Initiative (PYCI) is the program identity underneath it, focused on the next generation.
Meet Umar John ↗The founder · The purpose
Umar John.
A vision for our stories.
Founder & initiative owner · CEO, Hummingbird Film Studios Inc. · Founder & President, Hummingbird Art & Culture Foundation Ltd.
A filmmaker’s belief in the next generation of storytellers.
Umar John founded Lollywood to Hollywood to connect Pakistani creative talent with the learning, mentorship and professional exchange that meaningful film development requires.
His ambition is a lasting creative community: original voices, thoughtful practice and stories that can travel without losing where they come from.
Meet Umar John — full profile ↗Develop the voice.
Rooted in Pakistan.
Connected to the world.
A creative community whose stories reflect its own culture and contribute with confidence to the wider conversation of cinema.
Originality. Discipline. Collaboration with purpose.
Our foundation
Clear roles. A shared purpose.
An initiative of
Hummingbird Art & Culture Foundation Ltd.
The educational and cultural home of Lollywood to Hollywood.
Executed by
Hummingbird Film Studios Inc.
The film studio responsible for executing the initiative within its educational and cultural framework.
Our approach
Build something that lasts beyond a single moment.
The framework includes talent discovery, story development, film education, mentorship, professional dialogue, and international engagement. Individual programs will define what is offered and how participants can take part.
Explore the program framework →The founding vision
People before the premiere.
Umar John created Lollywood to Hollywood as a long-term commitment to Pakistani storytelling.
His vision places the development of people at the center of a stronger creative ecosystem: original voices, informed creative choices, and professional relationships that can grow with the work.
Umar John Founder & Initiative Owner
Meet founder Umar John →