Pakistan, July 16 -- If you go to film festivals long enough, you end up getting cynical about a few things. For example, it becomes clear that for political reasons, programmers are often pressured to support filmmakers from the country where the fests take place. Instead of getting first dibs on the best of what's created in their own backyards, they wind up making room for local movies that got turned down by other festivals. That means, when in Berlin, you're better off skipping the Perspektive Deutsches Kino section. Venice is the wrong place to see Italian films. And when it comes to Toronto, don't waste your time on Canadian fare.

Now, if you are not a film-festival burnout, you might ask: But isn't that a little harsh? Surely the...