Tag: Joyland

  • ‘Joyland’ becomes first Pakistani film to enter Oscars shortlist

    By PTI

    ISLAMABAD: Pakistani film “Joyland” may have faced trials and tribulations at home but to the international community, it was a banger from the start and now has been shortlisted for the Oscars, the first ever movie to do so from the country.

    The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Thursday released its Oscar shortlists for the upcoming 95th edition in 10 categories.

    “Joyland” is among 15 films that made the cut for the best international feature film honour and will advance to the final stage of nominations.

    The critically-acclaimed film follows a patriarchal family, craving for the birth of a baby boy to continue the family line, while their youngest son secretly joins an erotic dance theatre and falls for a trans woman.

    Sania Saeed along with Ali Junejo, Aleena Khan, Rasti Faruq, Salman Pirzada, and Sohail Samir are part of the main cast.

    It is produced by Apoorva Guru Charan, Sarmad Sultan Khoosat, and Lauren Mann.

    Films from 92 countries and regions were eligible in the best international feature film category.

    India’s “Chhello Show” (“Last Film Show”) also made it to the list, according to the official website of the Academy.

    Other titles in the best international feature film category include Argentina’s “Argentina, 1985”, Austria’s “Corsage”, Belgium’s “Close”, Cambodia’s “Return to Seoul”, Denmark’s “Holy Spider”, France’s “Saint Omer”, Germany’s “All Quiet on the Western Front”, Ireland’s “The Quiet Girl”, Mexico’s “Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths”, Morocco’s “The Blue Caftan”, Poland’s “EO”, South Korea’s “Decision to Leave” and Sweden’s “Cairo Conspiracy”.

    ALSO READ | With few cuts, Pakistan lifts ban on Oscar-entry movie ‘Joyland’, says Salman Sufi

    Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, who recently boarded the team of “Joyland” as an executive producer, congratulated director Saim Sadiq for making it to the shortlist.

    The official Instagram page of the movie shared a video of Yousafzai expressing her happiness to Sadiq over a phone call.

    “You guys have done a tremendous job. This is a great moment for all the artists and also for Pakistan. It’s an honour to be associated with this movie. This is amazing,” she said.

    Filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, chair of the Pakistani Academy Selection Committee this year, shared the news on her Instagram Stories.

    “Ten years after forming Pakistan’s Oscar committee, one of our own is on the shortlist! So much to celebrate,” she posted.

    This is not the maiden international recognition for “Joyland” as it was also the first film from Pakistan to be selected for the Cannes Film Festival and win the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section.

    Its release in Pakistan, however, was a tricky affair.

    After being cleared by the censor board, it was declared “uncertified” for containing “highly objectionable material” that goes against the country’s “social values and moral standards”.

    After facing backlash by celebrities and the public, PM Shehbaz Sharif formed a committee to review the ban, which was later revoked.

    Punjab reinstated the ban in the province though the film was released everywhere else and elicited glowing reviews.

    ISLAMABAD: Pakistani film “Joyland” may have faced trials and tribulations at home but to the international community, it was a banger from the start and now has been shortlisted for the Oscars, the first ever movie to do so from the country.

    The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Thursday released its Oscar shortlists for the upcoming 95th edition in 10 categories.

    “Joyland” is among 15 films that made the cut for the best international feature film honour and will advance to the final stage of nominations.

    The critically-acclaimed film follows a patriarchal family, craving for the birth of a baby boy to continue the family line, while their youngest son secretly joins an erotic dance theatre and falls for a trans woman.

    Sania Saeed along with Ali Junejo, Aleena Khan, Rasti Faruq, Salman Pirzada, and Sohail Samir are part of the main cast.

    It is produced by Apoorva Guru Charan, Sarmad Sultan Khoosat, and Lauren Mann.

    Films from 92 countries and regions were eligible in the best international feature film category.

    India’s “Chhello Show” (“Last Film Show”) also made it to the list, according to the official website of the Academy.

    Other titles in the best international feature film category include Argentina’s “Argentina, 1985”, Austria’s “Corsage”, Belgium’s “Close”, Cambodia’s “Return to Seoul”, Denmark’s “Holy Spider”, France’s “Saint Omer”, Germany’s “All Quiet on the Western Front”, Ireland’s “The Quiet Girl”, Mexico’s “Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths”, Morocco’s “The Blue Caftan”, Poland’s “EO”, South Korea’s “Decision to Leave” and Sweden’s “Cairo Conspiracy”.

    ALSO READ | With few cuts, Pakistan lifts ban on Oscar-entry movie ‘Joyland’, says Salman Sufi

    Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, who recently boarded the team of “Joyland” as an executive producer, congratulated director Saim Sadiq for making it to the shortlist.

    The official Instagram page of the movie shared a video of Yousafzai expressing her happiness to Sadiq over a phone call.

    “You guys have done a tremendous job. This is a great moment for all the artists and also for Pakistan. It’s an honour to be associated with this movie. This is amazing,” she said.

    Filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, chair of the Pakistani Academy Selection Committee this year, shared the news on her Instagram Stories.

    “Ten years after forming Pakistan’s Oscar committee, one of our own is on the shortlist! So much to celebrate,” she posted.

    This is not the maiden international recognition for “Joyland” as it was also the first film from Pakistan to be selected for the Cannes Film Festival and win the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section.

    Its release in Pakistan, however, was a tricky affair.

    After being cleared by the censor board, it was declared “uncertified” for containing “highly objectionable material” that goes against the country’s “social values and moral standards”.

    After facing backlash by celebrities and the public, PM Shehbaz Sharif formed a committee to review the ban, which was later revoked.

    Punjab reinstated the ban in the province though the film was released everywhere else and elicited glowing reviews.

  • In a subcontinental first, Pakistani film ‘Joyland’ wins Cannes sidebar Jury 

    By PTI

    CANNES:  Pakistani film “Joyland”, written and directed by debutant Saim Sadiq, won the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section of the 75th Cannes Film Festival on Friday, becoming the first-ever film from the subcontinent to bag the award.

    “Joyland”, a drama about a Lahore family in the firm grip of deep-rooted patriarchy, was pipped to the section’s top award, the Un Certain Regard Prize, by the French film “Les Pires” (The Worst Ones), helmed by the Paris-based directing duo of Lisa Akoka and Romane Gueret.

    “Les Pires” is the second female-helmed film in two years to win the coveted award. Last year, the Un Certain Regard prize was won by Kira Kivalenko’s “Unclenching the Fists”.

    The award for “Joyland” represents a global breakthrough of immeasurable proportions for the relatively small Pakistani movie industry. Incidentally, “Joyland” also won the Prix Queer Palm, awarded by Jury chaired by filmmaker Catherine Corsini on Friday.

    One of the central characters in the film is a transwoman played by a real-life transwoman Alina Khan The Un Certain Regard Best Director Award went to the Romanian director Alexandre Belc for “Metronom”, while the Best Screenplay Prize was bagged by the Israeli-Palestinian director Maha Haj for “Mediterranean Fever”.

    Luxembourg actress Vicky Krieps, for her performance in Austrian filmmaker Marie Kreutzer’s “Corsage”, shared the best acting award with French actor Adam Bessa’s turn in Nathan Lotfy’s “Harka”. The Un Certain Regard jury was chaired by Italian producer-director-actress Valeria Golino.