Pakistan Bans Oscars Submission ‘Joyland’ For ‘Objectionable Material’; Director Saim Sadiq And Filmmaking Team To Appeal Decision

Liz Shackleton
·2 min read
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Pakistan’s Ministry Of Information and Broadcasting has banned Saim Sadiq’s Joyland, the film that Pakistan submitted to the Best International Feature category of the Oscars, reversing an earlier decision to clear the film for theatrical release.

Sadiq and the team behind the film are appealing the ban, which they describe as a “sudden U-turn” and “absolutely unconstitutional and illegal”.

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“Our film got seen and certified by all three censor boards in August 2022,” Sadiq said in an Instagram post. “The 18th amendment in the Pakistani constitution gives all provinces the autonomy to make their own decision. Yet the Ministry suddenly caved under pressure from a few extremist factions – who have not seen the film – and made a mockery of our federal censor board by rendering their decision irrelevant.”

The film, which won the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize when it premiered at this year’s Cannes film festival, revolves around a Pakistani family whose youngest son secretly joins an erotic dance theatre and fall in love with a trans woman.

Last week, Pakistani fashion designer Maria Butt shared a series of Instagram stories about the film, saying it contravened the social values of Islam and Pakistan. Shortly after, a #BanJoyland hashtag started circulating on Twitter in Pakistan.

Responding to the issue, Pakistan’s I&B Ministry issued a notice declaring the film uncertified for Pakistan. It was scheduled for local release on November 18.

The Ministry notice read: “On the release of the film, written complaints were received that the film contains highly objectionable material that does not conform with the social values and moral standards of our society and is clearly repugnant to the norms of ‘decency and morality’ as laid down in Section 9 of the Motion Picture Ordinance, 1979.

“The Federal Government declares the feature film titled Joyland as an uncertified film for the whole of Pakistan in the cinemas which fall under the jurisdiction of the CBFC with immediate effect.”

The film has had a wide festival career since premiering in Cannes, where it was the first film from Pakistan to screen at the festival, most recently screening at the Dharamshala International Film Festival in India. It also won the Cannes Queer Palm, played in Toronto International Film Festival and this past weekend won the Young Cinema Award at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards in Australia.

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