Filmmaker Mohammed Ali Naqvi is the new chairperson of Pakistan’s Academy Selection Committee

Filmmaker Mohammed Ali Naqvi, popularly known as Mo Naqvi, has been appointed chairperson of the Pakistan Academy Selection Committee (PASC), taking over from the previous chair, director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.

The PASC is the body that selects Pakistan’s official entry for the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film each year.

Naqvi, known for his compelling and socially impactful storytelling, was inducted into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences in 2022 — a testament to his influential body of work. His latest documentary, The Accused: Damned Or Devoted, has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy this year.

“I am incredibly honoured and excited to take on the role as the chairman of the PASC,” Naqvi said. “I am deeply grateful for this opportunity, and I commit myself to continue elevating Pakistani cinema on the international stage.”

Naqvi has pledged that his immediate focus will be to assemble a dynamic selection committee, a process which is already well underway. “Several eminent professionals have confirmed their participation. I’m eager to introduce our committee members to the public in the near future. I am confident that our combined efforts will further elevate Pakistani cinema on the global stage.”

Naqvi recently produced the top 10 global hit Netflix Original docuseries, Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror. He is a member of both the Motion Picture Academy and the Television Academy and received an Emmy Television Academy Honour for his directing and producing work on the Showtime Original documentary film Shame. Other notable projects include his Emmy-nominated Among the Believers and The Accused: Damned Or Devoted?, winner of the Asian Media Award Insha’Allah Democracy (STARZ)

He has also produced fiction features including road-trip drama Big River (Official Selection: Berlin Film Festival) and indie comedy I Will Avenge You Iago, starring Giancarlo Esposito and Larry Pine. Naqvi’s work extends beyond the screen — he is a board member of the Mukhtaran Mai’s Women Welfare Group.