Pakistan’s Film Producers Association has begun lobbying to overturn a ban on the release of Joyland in cinemas in the country.
Saim Sadiq’s Joyland, Pakistan’s official entry to the Oscars, was banned from release in the country last week.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting released a statement on November 11 saying it had received written complaints that the film “contains highly objectionable material which do not conform with the social values and moral standards of our society.”
It added the film is “clearly repugnant to the norms of ‘decency and morality’”.
As a result, the government has declared the feature an uncertified film for Pakistani cinemas, with immediate effect. It was due for release this week.
The Pakistan Film Producers Association has been in touch with its members since the ban was announced, saying it is ”negotiating this issue with Censor Board. We all are very hopeful that the Chairman of the censor board is a very positive person and this issue will be resolved very soon.
“In this regard, you are humbly requested to avoid commenting or posting on this issue on any social media platform.”
Joyland premiered in Un Certain Regard at Cannes this year as the first Pakistani film ever picked for the festival’s official selection.
The story 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.
The release ban may jeopardise the film’s chance at the Oscars as it is a condition of entry the film must be shown in its home country for at least seven days in a cinema, before November 30. However, it may still be able to qualify – special rules for the international feature film award say that in order for films to more easily meet theatrical exhibition requirements, the Academy will allow films to qualify outside the country of origin.
Joyland producer Sabiha Sumar and co-producer Jamila Wenske told Screen that they “sincerely wish for the matter of Joyland’s release in Pakistan to be resolved.”
A statement by the director posted on Twitter by the film’s associate producer Tabish Habib said: “We – as a team – are gutted by this development but fully intend to raise our voice against this grave injustice.”
Sadiq claimed the film had been approved by “all three censor boards” in Pakistan in August 2022 and that the Ministry “suddenly caved under pressure from a few extremist factions – who have not seen the film.”
Pakistan’s Oscar committee was reportedly chaired by two-time Academy Award and Emmy-winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, singer Ali Sethi, author Omar Shahid Hamid, film critic Rafay Mahmood, actor and filmmaker Samina Ahmad, producer Jerjees Seja, screenwriter and director Bee Gul, designer Rizwan Beyg, cinematographer Mo Azmi, and actor Zeba Bakhtiar.
Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai recently joined Joyland as an executive producer. International sales are handled by Film Constellation while WME Independent represents North American rights.
Studio Soho acquired UK and Ireland rights to the film last month.
No comments yet