Pakistani filmmaker Mo Naqvi earns fourth Emmy nomination for acclaimed Netflix series

Acclaimed Pakistani documentary filmmaker Mohammed Ali (Mo) Naqvi has earned a prestigious nomination at the 2024 Emmy Awards in the category of Outstanding Historical Documentary for his work on Turning Point: The Bomb & The Cold War, a widely praised Netflix original series.

This marks Naqvi’s fourth career Emmy nomination, a significant milestone that positions him among the most celebrated Pakistani filmmakers in the history of the Television Academy. The recognition reaffirms Naqvi’s continued impact on the global documentary landscape.

Directed by Emmy-winner Brian Knappenberger and produced by Naqvi, Turning Point: The Bomb & The Cold War is a sweeping 9-part documentary series examining the origins, tensions, and enduring consequences of the Cold War, with sharp relevance to today’s geopolitical landscape.

Filmed over two years across seven countries, the series includes rare, exclusive interviews with a roster of prominent global figures, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, former CIA Director Robert Gates, and former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

The documentary achieved remarkable success upon release, climbing to #3 on the Netflix Original Series chart and garnering over 621 million minutes streamed in its first few weeks on the platform. Its global resonance and critical acclaim underscore the project’s powerful storytelling and journalistic depth.

Naqvi’s Emmy recognition is part of a broader pattern of international accolades. In 2023, he made history as the first Pakistani to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking for The Accused: Damned or Devoted?. Earlier, he became the first Pakistani recipient of the Television Academy Honor in 2008 for his groundbreaking Showtime documentary Shame.

Beyond his creative achievements, Naqvi is also an influential figure in shaping Pakistan’s presence in global cinema. He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and currently serves as Chairman of the Pakistan Academy Selection Committee. He is also the co-founder of the Crescent Collective, which played a key role in establishing Pakistan’s official presence at the Cannes Film Festival in collaboration with Global Lens Day and the American Pavilion.

Further cementing his reputation as a visionary in documentary filmmaking, Naqvi was recently named a 2025 Concordia Fellow by the Oscar-winning Concordia Studio, founded by Davis Guggenheim. The fellowship recognizes innovative non-fiction filmmakers dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices and driving forward the boundaries of the genre.

As the Emmy Awards draw near, Naqvi’s nomination stands as a testament not only to his personal achievements but also to the growing global visibility of Pakistani storytelling.