The cast and crew of ‘Joyland’ at Cannes
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Tuesday unveiled shortlists of 10 categories for the 2023 Oscars, including documentary and international features, with Pakistani film Joyland becoming the first movie from the country to ever be shortlisted for the honors.
In total, 15 international films have been shortlisted out of films submitted by 92 countries. Apart from Joyland, they are: Argentina, 1985 (Argentina); Corsage (Austria); Close (Belgium); Return to Seoul (Cambodia); Holy Spider (Denmark); Saint Omer (France); All Quiet on the Western Front (Germany); Last Film Show (India); The Quiet Girl (Ireland); Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths (Mexico); The Blue Caftan (Morocco); EO (Poland); Decision to Leave (South Korea); and Cairo Conspiracy (Sweden).
Voting to determine the final nominations from the shortlists will run from Jan. 12-17, with the Academy scheduled to announce the nominations on Jan. 24. The 95th Oscars are slated to be held on March 12 at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood.
Written and directed by Saim Sadiq, Joyland stars Alina Khan, Ali Junejo, Rasti Farooq, Sarwat Gilani, Salman Peerzada, and Sania Saeed. It was announced as the country’s official submission for the Oscars in September though faced a potential blackout after the Government of Pakistan briefly banned its release over “objectionable” content. However, this ban was subsequently reversed after the producers made some cuts to bring it in line with the demands of authorities.
Joyland, which premiered at Cannes in May, has already made history by becoming Pakistan’s first official entry to be invited to the prestigious festival. It has already won the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize and the Queer Palm at Cannes, as well as the Best Film From The Subcontinent at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne; the Young Cinema Award at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards; and a Sutherland Award Honorable Mention at the London Film Festival.
In addition to Best International Feature Film, the Academy also unveiled the shortlists for the categories of Documentary Feature Film; Documentary Short Film; Makeup and Hairstyling; Music (Original Score); Music (Original Song); Animated Short Film; Live-Action Short Film; South; and Visual Effects.