Joyland, Pakistan’s official entry to the Academy Awards, is still eligible for the international feature film Oscar despite being banned from release in its home country.
The film is getting an Oscar-qualifying pre-release next week in France through Condor Distribution in two arthouse cinemas in Aix-en-Provence, the Mazarin and Renoir. Joyland will play every day for a week at 18:00 from November 22. This will be followed by nationwide release in France on December 28.
Pakistan’s ban on Joyland - which was due to be released in the country this week - initially threw into question its ability to qualify for the Oscars because it would not play in its home country.
However, the Academy’s “Special Rules for the International Feature Film Award” state that a film can still qualify if it is released outside a submitting country for seven days before November 30.
The “Special Rules” were introduced last year in the wake of the Covid 19 pandemic which shut theatres around the world.
The rule states: “In order for films to more easily meet theatrical exhibition requirements, the Academy will allow films to qualify outside the country of origin, provided the film is theatrically exhibited outside of the United States and its territories for at least seven consecutive days in a commercial motion picture theater for paid admission. The International Feature Film Executive Committee will evaluate all matters of rules and eligibility.”
Directed by Saim Sadiq, Joyland follows a young man from a patriarchal family who secretly joins an exotic dance theatre as a background performer and falls for a trans actress, while his wife is expecting their first child.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced a ban on the film on November 11 after receiving written complaints that the film “contains highly objectionable material which do not conform with the social values and moral standards of our society.”
Pakistan’s Film Producers Association has begun lobbying to overturn the ban.
A shortlist of 15 finalists for the international feature film award is set to be announced on December 21 with the final five nominees announced on January 24, 2022. The 95th Academy Awards will take place on March 12, 2023 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
International sales for Joyland are handled by Film Constellation while WME Independent represents North American rights. Studio Soho acquired UK and Ireland rights to the film last month.
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