Saim Sadiq’s Joyland has been nominated for Best International Film at the Independent Spirit Awards.
The film, which recently got its nationwide release except for Punjab, previously had many feathers in its cap as it became the first Cannes entry for Pakistan and it also bagged the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard segment.
The Pakisatni will be competing against Marie Kreutzer’s Corsage, Martika Ramirez Escobar’s Leonor Will Never Die, Davy Chou’s Return to Seoul and Alice Diop’s Saint Omer at the Independent Spirit Awards which will be held on March 4, 2023, in California, US.
Directed by Saim Sadiq, the movie tells the love story between a youngster and a transgender starlet he meets after secretly joining an erotic dance theater and falls for a transgender dancer named Biba. The film stars Ali Junejo, Alina Khan, Sarwat Gilani, Rasti Farooq, Sania Saeed, Sohail Sameer and Salmaan Peerzada.
Read more: SHC rejects plea seeking ban on movie Joyland
Because of the love between a man and a transgender, Joyland was the subject of controversy in Pakistan because people believed it had ‘objectionable’ content. It was banned by the Central Board of Film Censors and then later unbanned by a committee formed by the prime minister. However, it is still not screened across Punjab.
