Cannes 2022: Pakistani Film Joyland On Sexual Revolution Becomes Official Selection For The Film Festival

Cannes Film Festival is all set to take place between May 17 to May 28, 2022. Many countries have announced their official selection for the festival, and according to reports, Pakistani full-length feature, Joyland is joining the film festival as the official selection this year.

Notably, Joyland is helmed by debutant director Saim Sadiq, who in 2019 won the Best Short Film Lion in Venice's Orizzonti (New Horizons) for his Darling. Joyland this year will play in the second most important category, A Certain Regard, known to include experimental cinema and works by newcomers.

The news was shared by the filmmaker on his Instagram account. The caption read, "My amazing cast has given the characters of Joyland a kind of empathy and humanity that a moviemaker can only hope for and I am thrilled to experience their magic."

Saim Sadiq in the caption expressed his excitement by saying, "I am so excited to share the first image of Joyland and, deeply humbled that Joyland is going to have it's world premiere at the 75th Cannes Film Festival. Virtual hugs for my cast and crew who deserve this moment and so much more."

The film according to reports stars Ali Junejo, Alina Khan, Rasti Farooq, Sarwat Gilani, Sohail Sameer, Salman Peerzada, and Sania Saeed in pivotal roles. Joyland follows a happy joint family that yearns for the birth of a baby boy to keep the lineage alive in what is a traditional patriarchal community.

The official synopsis added, "As life often has a way of springing surprises, the family's youngest son secretly joins an erotic dance theatre group and falls in love with a transsexual starlet, who is ruthlessly ambitious."

Sadiq during an interaction with Images, hoped that Joyland would generate positivity and good debate at home in Pakistan and around the world. He added that passionate people have put a lot of heart and soul into this movie.