Pakistani cinema made a strong impact at the Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival (MISAFF) 2026 in Canada, with several Pakistani films securing major awards.
Sarmad Khoosat’s Lali led the country’s wins, receiving the Special Jury Prize and Best Sound Design Award, while Farazeh Syed was named Best Supporting Actress.
The film, which debuted at the Berlinale earlier this year, also opened MISAFF 2026. Set in Sahiwal, Lali follows Zeba, played by Mamya Shajaffar, a young woman whose marriage is overshadowed by jealousy, suspicion, and rumors of a curse linked to her past.
The dark comedy blends Punjabi folklore, supernatural elements, and family tensions. Its cast also includes Channan Hanif, Farazeh Syed, Rasti Farooq, and Mehar Bano.
Mohammed Ali Naqvi’s Hanging by a Wire also received major recognition, winning the Sabeen Mahmud Award for Courage in Cinema in the Documentary category.
The documentary revisits the 2023 Battagram cable car tragedy, when eight people, including six children, were stranded around 900 feet above a river after a cable snapped.
All eight were eventually rescued following a difficult operation that continued throughout the day.
The film reconstructs the incident through eyewitness accounts, footage recorded at the scene, and cinematic recreations, while focusing on survival, community support, and the rescue efforts.
Hanging by a Wire is also Pakistan’s entry for this year’s Academy Awards.
Pakistan also secured a win in the short-film category, with Kamran Faiq’s The Last Glance named Best International Short Film.
The 13-minute film follows Barkaat, his pregnant wife Bushra, and their young son Ahmad as they flee their village amid violence. Their journey takes an unexpected turn at a remote police checkpoint, where they face a difficult moral choice.
Another Pakistani production, The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony, received an Honorable Mention in the Best Documentary category. The film follows a group of gymnasts from Karachi’s Macchar Colony.
The 12th edition of MISAFF ran from September 30 to October 4 and featured 16 feature-length films and 30 short films from Pakistan, Canada, India, Nepal, Iran, and other countries.
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