After Malala, Riz Ahmed joins Saim Sadiq’s Joyland as executive producer
Joyland is the first ever Pakistani Feature Film to be shortlisted for the Oscars
After Malala, Riz Ahmed joins Saim Sadiq’s Joyland as executive producer!
British-Pakistani actor and Oscar winner Riz Ahmed took to Instagram to announce that his production company Left Handed Films is now a part of the Joyland team as they inch toward Oscars official nominations.
Read more: Joyland becomes the first ever Pakistani Feature Film to be shortlisted for the Oscars
While sharing Joyland’s poster on Instagram and Riz Ahmed wrote, “We are so proud at Left Handed Films to be a part of @joylandmovie. Our motto is “go left” and Saim Sadiq’s unique film does just that. JOYLAND is ground-breaking. And it’s easy to get lost in all the ways that it is; the first Pakistani film at Cannes, the first award-winner, the first to be Oscar shortlisted, and a queer love story that has overcome multiple bans. But more important than any of the glass ceilings it smashes, is how this film so masterfully breaks our hearts.”
“Saim Sadiq’s filmmaking is both understated and gut-wrenching. His writing is consistently unexpected, and every scene is so elegantly composed but still bursting with raw performances. JOYLAND is one of the best films of the year, and against all odds of resources and marketing budgets, it’s been amazing to see festival juries, audiences, and critics shouting that from the rooftops,” he added.
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Ahmed is one of many executive producers on board for Pakistan’s official entry to the 95th Academy Awards, alongside Yousafzai, Ramin Bahrani, Jemima Khan, William Olsson, Jen Goyne Blake, Tiffany Boyle, Elsa Ramo, Oleg Dubson, Kathrin Lohmann, Hari Charana Prasad, Sukanya Puvvula and Owais Ahmed.
It emerges that Pakistan’s Joyland has advanced to the next round of voting in the International Feature Film category.
While the Nominations for the 95th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023.
Nominations for the 95th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023. #Oscars95
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) January 10, 2023
This alliance could prove fruitful as Ahmed’s several productions have managed to bag nominations.
In 2021, Riz Ahmed won his first Oscar for the critically acclaimed live-action short film The Long Goodbye, which he co-wrote with Aneil Karia.
