It’s a big day for the Pakistani film industry and local artists! A matter of utmost pride and joy, two of our films; Sarmad Khoosat’s Kamli, Saim Sadiq’s Joyland, and the Sajal Aly starrer What’s Love Got to Do with It? won big at the Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival (MISAFF) held in Mississauga this week.
The four-day Canadian festival announced awards and jury prizes on social media on Wednesday. Starting with the highly acclaimed film Joyland, the official handle for the festival revealed that the Cannes winner bagged not one but four awards at MISAFF including Best International Feature, Best Screenplay, Best Sound Design and Best Actor (Female).
“The jury for #MISAFF23 awarded Joyland Best International Feature, Best Screenplay (Saim Sadiq, Mary Margaret Briggs), Best Sound Design and Best Actress to Rasti Farooq,” read the caption of the post featuring actor Alina Khan’s cut-out poster.
Apart from Joyland’s grand win, Khoosat’s hauntingly magical Kamli also won praise for Sania Saeed’s stellar acting as a blind woman in the film. “Sania Saeed, who joined us at #MISAFF23 and was an absolute delight, has been awarded Best Actress for her role in Kamli,” they wrote.
The post was shared by Nimra Bucha and Khoosat himself, lauding Sakina (Saeed’s character) in the film. Kamli, which revolves around the intertwining stories of three women and their restrained desires, had its premiere at the festival’s opening night on March 23.
Last but not the least, Jemima Khan’s romantic comedy that’s winning hearts in cinemas right now won the Jury Prize for Best Ensemble Cast at the festival. “What’s Love Got To Do With It? was awarded a Jury Prize for Best Ensemble Cast,” announced the festival organisers on the photo-sharing app and tagged Khan, Shekhar Kapur, Shabana Azmi and Nitin Sawhney.
The film, exploring the culture of arranged marriages in Pakistan, also stars Sajal Aly, Emma Thompson, Lily James and Shahzad Latif.
Celebrating its monumental 10th edition, MISAFF aims to present and recognise “thought-provoking and conscientious cinema that uplifts humanity and promotes peace and harmony.” The festival premieres films representing South Asians from Canada, USA, UK, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and the Caribbean.
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