Joyland by director Saim Sadiq has made it to the Oscar’s shortlist, becoming the first Pakistani feature film to do so.

The internationally acclaimed film is Pakistan’s official entry to the Oscars International Feature Film Category. It was given the green signal for screening in cinemas across Pakistan in November after much controversy.

“We want the film to be screened in Pakistan because its essentially a Pakistani story and meant for Pakistani audiences,” Saim Sadiq had told Aaj News back in November when the censor boards were debating whether it could run in cinemas. The Oscars have a requirement that a film run on commercial theatres for at least seven days before the entry deadline.

The nominations for the 95th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023. The ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, March 12, 2023.

In the nominations round, Academy members from all branches are invited to opt in to participate and must view all 15 shortlisted films to vote. These 15 films will now go to the next round of voting in the International Feature Film category for the 95th Academy Awards. The preliminary round of voting must have met a minimum viewing requirement.

This is the full 15-film list:

• Argentina, Argentina, 1985
• Austria, Corsage
• Belgium, Close
• Cambodia, Return to Seoul
• Denmark, Holy Spider
• France, Saint Omer
• Germany, All Quiet on the Western Front
• India, Last Film Show
• Ireland, The Quiet Girl
• Mexico, Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths
• Morocco, The Blue Caftan
• Pakistan, Joyland
• Poland, EO
• South Korea, Decision to Leave
• Sweden, Cairo Conspiracy

The Academy Awards are held in January. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released its shortlists for 10 categories on Wednesday: Documentary Feature Film, Documentary Short Film, International Feature Film, Makeup and Hairstyling, Music (Original Score), Music (Original Song), Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film, Sound, and Visual Effects.

India submitted, Last Film Show, which made it to the list. India’s shortlisting comes 20 years after Lagaan was nominated.

Joyland was selected as Pakistan’s first ever entry at Cannes Film Festival. Director Saim Sadiq received a long standing ovation.

The plot of Joyland, the theme and its characters

Joyland is set in Lahore’s inner city. Haider (Ali Junejo) lives with his family. He is married to Mumtaz (Rasti Farooq) who works as a beautician. Haider’s father (Salmaan Peerzada) is a punishing wheel-chair bound figure with a leonine head of white hair and just as dark an attitude towards his son because Haider is jobless.

Haider’s masculinity is at stake because he cannot earn. A friend pulls him in to try out as a backup dancer at a Punjabi mujra theatre where Biba (Alina Khan) runs a small troupe.

A few parallel plots run though the film, with the most compelling story being of Mumtaz, who is ordered by her father-in-law to stay home and help. She reluctantly gives up her job. A life of quiet suffocation sets in.

Indeed, Joyland is a film steeped in desperation and resignation.

The names

Joyland’s executive producer is none other than Malala Yousafzai but hers is not just the only heavyweight name. The film has several producers including Sabiha Sumar and Sarmad Khoosat.

It stars Sania Saeed, Usman Peerzada, who are barely recognisable. Sarwat Gilani is the perfect choice for Nuchhi, Haider’s sister-in-law.

The star of the film is perhaps Alina Khan, a khwaja sira, who plays Biba, the lead dancer of the troupe, who struggles to stay at the top of the theatre’s playbill.