Riz Ahmed Joins Pakistan’s Oscar Hopeful ‘Joyland’

“My motto is ‘go left’ and Saim Sadiq’s unique film does just that”.

British Pakistani actor, Riz Ahmed and his production company, Left Handed Films, has joined Pakistan’s Oscar contender Joyland as an executive producer.

After social activist Malala Yousafzai, the Academy Award-winning actor Riz Ahmed’s production company has taken Saim Sadiq’s thought-provoking film under its wing with the Oscars right around the corner.

Riz Ahmed

The Four Lions star is thrilled to be part of the Joyland team as he praised Saim Sadiq’s film in an Instagram post yesterday. Riz Ahmed shared a poster of the film and wrote in the caption,

We are so proud at Left Handed Films to be a part of Joyland. Our motto is “go left” and Saim Sadiq’s unique film does just that. Joyland is ground-breaking.

He went on to add, “It’s easy to get lost in all the ways that it is; the first Pakistani film at Cannes, the first award-winner, the first to be Oscar shortlisted, and a queer love story that has overcome multiple bans. But more important than any of the glass ceilings it smashes, is how this film so masterfully breaks our hearts”.

Riz Ahmed sang praises for the Joyland director Saim Sadiq, stating that his “filmmaking is both understated and gut-wrenching. His writing is consistently unexpected, and every scene is so elegantly composed but still bursting with raw performances”.

Joyland director Saim Sadiq

The Sound of Metal star declared Joyland as “one of the best films of the year,” admiring the film’s team to stand “against all odds of resources and marketing budgets”.

joyland
Joyland team: Director Saim Sadiq, Alina Khan, Ali Junejo

For the unversed, Joyland celebrates the LGBTQ sexual revolution in Pakistan. It tells the story of the youngest son in a patriarchal family who is expected to produce a baby boy with his wife. He joins an erotic dance theatre instead and falls for the troupe’s director who is a transwoman.

Written and directed by Saim Sadiq, and produced by Apoorva Guru Charan, Sarmad Sultan Khoosat, and Lauren Mann, Joyland features trans-actor Ali Khan as ‘Biba’ with Ali Junejo as ‘Haider. The rest of the supporting cast includes Rasti Farooq, Sarwat Gillani, Salman Peerzada, Sohail Sameer, and Sania Saeed.


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