After successfully making waves at the acclaimed Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, the young director Saim Sadiq with his latest feature ‘Joyland’ continues to make the nation proud with the achievement streak.
It was Pakistan’s first Academy Awards submission for a feature film, making it the Cannes winner’s first nomination in the International Feature Film category.
It is important to note that “Joyland” received the “jury prize” and the “Queer Palm” at the Cannes Film Festival in the “Un Certain Regard” category. The film garnered a 10-minute standing ovation from festival goers following the premiere in addition to beating out 13 other nominees for the prized award. Moreover, Joyland also brought home the award for ‘Best Film From The Subcontinent’ at the 13th edition of ‘Indian Film Festival of Melbourne’, held in Australia last month.
The Film “Joyland” by Saim Sadiq, which honours the nation’s “transgender culture,” is a “tale of the sexual revolution” in which a patriarchal family secretly joins an erotic dance theatre and falls in love with a defiant transsexual starlet while secretly yearning for the birth of a baby boy to carry on the family line.
Joyland Oscar Nomination
Alina Khan leads an ensemble cast that includes Sana Jafri, Ali Junejo, Rasti Farooq, Sarwat Gilani, Sohail Sameer, Salman Peerzada, and Sania Saeed.
Joyland executive producer Malala Yousafzai congratulated Saim Sadiq on his achievement and expressed her joy.
“I am so, so happy for you and your whole team. Everyone who was on the screen, behind the screen. You guys have done such a tremendous job! It’s a huge honour for me to be a part of this project. It is such an amazing moment for all the artists and for Pakistan,” said Malala. “The team must know everyone’s so proud of them,” she added.
Sadiq responded, “Thank you for your work, for playing such an important role. It makes me really proud as well. We make a good team.”
On January 24, next year, the complete and final list of Oscar nominees will be released.
