‘Joyland’ actor Ali Junejo wins Honourable Mention Award at São Paulo International Film Festival

Actor won alongside Zelda Samson of the French film ‘Dalva’ and 'Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman’ by Pierre Földes.

As the time comes closer for Joyland’s nationwide release in Pakistan, the excitement only doubles as Saim Sadiq announces the film's latest achievement. The lead actor Ali Junejo, who essayed Haider in the award-winning film, won an Honourable Mention Award at the São Paulo International Film Festival for his stellar acting and dancing prowess in the film.

On Thursday, Sadiq took to his Instagram to share the news. Reposting Mostra SP’s announcement about Junejo winning the Jury Prize, he wrote, “Ali Junejo won a special mention award for Joyland at the 46th Sao Paolo International Film Festival,” with crying emojis brimmed with pride. Junejo won the award along with Zelda Samson of the French film Dalva and Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman by Pierre Földes.

Junejo, in a zoom conversation with The Express Tribune, earlier in September, revealed that he started working on his character in January when the film started its shoot in September. “With a film like Joyland that comes only in an x number of years, you have no choice but to follow your character wherever it goes. It was a really interesting challenge to find the ark of my character with Saim and it did take a lot from me. But I loved that challenge regardless of how difficult it was. I love that we all fared to give it that and more,” he said.

Joyland is set to release in Pakistani cinemas on November 18. It features a daring portrait of a transgender dancer in a Muslim country that first made headlines when it won the Cannes Queer Palm prize for best LGBT, queer or feminist-themed movie. A tale of the sexual revolution, it tells the story of the youngest son in a patriarchal family who is expected to produce a baby boy with his wife. He instead joins an erotic dance theatre and falls for the troupe's director, a trans woman.

It was the first-ever Pakistani competitive entry at the Cannes festival and also won the Jury Prize in the "Un Certain Regard" competition. The film is also Pakistan’s official entry to the Oscars. Joyland stars Ali Junejo, Rasti Farooq, Alina Khan, and Sarwat Gilani.