Saim Sadiq

Last updated
Saim Sadiq
Born1991 Lahore, Pakistan
Education Lahore University of Management Sciences (BSc)
Columbia University School of the Arts (MFA)
Occupations
  • Director
  • Screenwriter

Saim Sadiq is a Pakistani screenwriter and director who won the Jury Prize of the Un Certain Regard section at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival for directing the drama film Joyland, the first Pakistani film to be selected in Cannes. [1] [2] Joyland also won the Queer Palm award during its world premiere at Cannes.

Biography

Sadiq grew up in what he describes as a "middle-class, conservative family" in Rawalpindi. He attended St Mary's Academy in Lalazar, Rawalpindi. He graduated with a BSc with honors in anthropology from the Lahore University of Management Sciences in 2014. He obtained his MFA in Screenwriting and Directing from the Columbia University School of the Arts in 2019. [3] [4]

His first short, Nice Talking To You, was an official selection at SXSW 2019, Palm Springs 2019, [5] and was a BAFTA Shortlist for Best Student Film. [6] He also won Vimeo's Best Director award at Columbia University Film Festival along with the Kodak Gold Award. [7] [8] [9]

For his Columbia film school thesis, he explored the world of trans dancers in the short Darling, which won the Orizzonti Award for Best Short Film in the 76th Venice International Film Festival. [10] [11] It was also the first Pakistani film to screen and win an award at the Venice Film Festival and received special jury mention at SXSW and was an official selection at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival before being acquired by Focus Features. [10]

Sadiq has said that his filmmaking has been inspired by his family, and by his discovery of a theater community in Lahore that is only a 10-minute ride from his childhood home. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannes Film Festival</span> French annual international film festival

The Cannes Film Festival, until 2003 called the International Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around the world. Founded in 1946, the invitation-only festival is held annually at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès. The festival was formally accredited by the FIAPF in 1951.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hirokazu Kore-eda</span> Japanese filmmaker (born 1962)

Hirokazu Kore-eda is a Japanese film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor. He began his career in television and has since directed more than a dozen feature films, including Nobody Knows (2004), Still Walking (2008), and After the Storm (2016). He won the Jury Prize at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival for Like Father, Like Son, and won the Palme d'Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival for Shoplifters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert Lamorisse</span> French filmmaker, film producer, and writer (1922–1970)

Albert Lamorisse was a French filmmaker, film producer, and writer of short films which he began making in the late 1940s. He also invented the strategic board game Risk in 1957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cinema of Russia</span>

The cinema of Russia, popularly known as Mollywood, refers to the film industry in Russia, engaged in production of motion pictures in Russian language. The popular term Mollywood is a portmanteau of "Moscow" and "Hollywood".

Jamil Dehlavi is a London-based independent film director and producer of Pakistani-French origin. Since he became a filmmaker in the 1970s, his work has been widely screened internationally, notable films including Jinnah (1998), about the partition of India and the birth of Pakistan, which won the Grand Prize at the Festival of the Dhow Countries, Best International Film at the World Film Awards in Indonesia, the Gold Award at Worldfest Flagstaff, Best Foreign Film at Worldfest Houston, and was nominated for a Golden Pyramid at the Cairo International Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annemarie Jacir</span> Palestinian filmmaker and poet

Annemarie Jacir is a Palestinian filmmaker, writer, and producer.

The Queer Palm is an independently sponsored prize for selected LGBT-relevant films entered into the Cannes Film Festival. The award was founded in 2010 by journalist Franck Finance-Madureira. It is sponsored by Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau, filmmakers of Jeanne and the Perfect Guy, The Adventures of Felix, Crustacés et Coquillages, and L'Arbre et la forêt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lauren Wolkstein</span> American film director

Lauren Wolkstein is an American film director, writer, producer and editor. She is known for directing, writing, and editing the 2017 film The Strange Ones with Christopher Radcliff and serving on the directorial team for the third season of Ava DuVernay's Queen Sugar, which she followed with a producing director role in the fifth season. She is an Associate Professor of Film and Media Arts at Temple University in Philadelphia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adastra Films</span> French film production and distribution company

Adastra Films is a film production and distribution company based in Cannes, France. It was founded in March 2008 by Sébastien Aubert and David Guiraud.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alice Rohrwacher</span> Italian film director

Alice Rohrwacher is an Italian film director, editor and screenwriter. She made her directorial debut with Heavenly Body (2011). She has since directed notable films such as The Wonders (2014), winner of the Grand Prix, Happy as Lazzaro (2018), which received the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Screenplay, and La chimera (2023). Her short Le pupille (2022) was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.

Oliver Hermanus is a South African film director and writer. He is known for his films Shirley Adams (2009), Beauty (2011), The Endless River (2015), Moffie (2019), and Living (2022). Beauty won the Queer Palm Award at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chéries-Chéris</span> Annual international LGBT film festival held in Paris

Chéries-Chéris is an annual international LGBT film festival held in Paris in October or November. Original titled "Festival of Gays and Lesbians of Paris", it was founded in 1994 by Yann Beauvais, Philip Brooks, Élisabeth Lebovici, and Nathalie Magnan. The festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture and the Direction régionale des affaires culturelles of Île-de-France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Cannes Film Festival</span> Film festival

The 72nd annual Cannes Film Festival took place from 14 to 25 May 2019. Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu served as jury president. The Palme d'Or went to the South Korean film Parasite, directed by Bong Joon-ho; Bong became the first Korean director to win the award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">76th Venice International Film Festival</span> Film festival

The 76th annual Venice International Film Festival was held from 28 August to 7 September 2019.

Edward Watts is an English filmmaker who is known for making documentaries and narrative-focused films. He has created films in conjunction with UK television network Channel 4 and ITN Productions. He is known for films including For Sama (2019), Escape From ISIS (2015) and The Mega Brothel (2015).

Matthew Puccini is an American filmmaker. He is known for his short films that deal with LGBT-related subject matters. These include The Mess He Made (2017), Marquise (2018), Dirty (2020) and Lavender (2019). His films have played at several festivals including Sundance, SXSW, Aspen Shortsfest, Palm Springs ShortsFest, and Outfest Los Angeles. His work has also been featured on Topic and The Huffington Post.

Celine Held is an American and British film director, writer, and actress. Her debut feature film Topside, co-directed with her partner Logan George, premiered at the 77th Venice International Film Festival. Her short film Caroline that she co-wrote, co-directed and starred in, was nominated for the Short Film Palme d'Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. Her additional short film work has premiered at Sundance Film Festival and at South by Southwest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Cannes Film Festival</span> 2022 film festival

The 75th annual Cannes Film Festival is a film festival that took place from 17 to 28 May 2022. The festival featured a tribute to actor Tom Cruise, whose film Top Gun: Maverick premiered at the festival and where the actor was awarded an Honorary Palme d'Or on short notice. The official poster for the festival was designed as a homage to The Truman Show (1998).

Alina Khan is a Pakistani actress known for her lead roles in the short film Darling in 2019 and the feature film Joyland in 2022. She is the first transgender person to have a lead role in a major Pakistani film. In May 2023, she was crowned Miss Trans Pakistan 2023 in Lahore, Pakistan.

<i>Joyland</i> (film) 2022 Pakistani drama film

Joyland is a 2022 Pakistani drama film written, directed and co-edited by Saim Sadiq in his feature directorial debut. The film stars Ali Junejo, Rasti Farooq, Alina Khan, Sarwat Gilani, and Salmaan Peerzada.

References

  1. ↑ Scott, Sheena. "Un Certain Regard Winners: Cannes Film Festival 2022". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-06-19.
  2. 1 2 Ramachandran, Naman (2022-05-22). "Cannes Title 'Joyland' Celebrates Pakistan's Transgender Culture". Variety. Retrieved 2022-06-19.
  3. ↑ "Columbia Filmmakers Screen at Cannes 2022: 'Joyland' Takes Home Jury Prize". Columbia - School of the Arts. Retrieved 2022-06-19.
  4. ↑ Rizvi, Sumaenah (2015-08-26). "These 7 Young LUMS Grads Are Taking Pakistan To The Next Level". Parhlo. Retrieved 2022-06-19.
  5. ↑ "Nice Talking to You | Palm Springs International Film Festival". www.psfilmfest.org. Retrieved 2022-06-19.
  6. ↑ "Current Students Gauri Adelkar and Saim Sadiq Shortlisted for 2019 BAFTA Student Film Awards". Columbia - School of the Arts. Retrieved 2022-06-19.
  7. ↑ "Saim Sadiq". Film Independent. Retrieved 2022-06-19.
  8. ↑ "Nice Talking To You". Columbia University Film Festival. Retrieved 2022-06-19.
  9. ↑ "Saim Sadiq's 'Darling' takes Best Short Film Award at Venice Film Festival". The Express Tribune. 2019-09-09. Retrieved 2022-06-19.
  10. 1 2 Wong, Silvia. "Director Saim Sadiq on tackling taboos in 'Joyland', the first Pakistani film ever in Cannes' official selection". Screen. Retrieved 2022-06-19.
  11. ↑ "'Darling' by Columbia Filmmakers Wins Best Short at Venice Film Festival". Columbia - School of the Arts. Retrieved 2022-06-19.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.