Pakistani Cannes selection Joyland picked by UK, American sales agencies
UK and France-based sales firm Film Constellation has been appointed to handle the international rights for Pakistani film Joyland, a Cannes Film Festival selection for the Un Certain Regard category. Sales duties in North America for the film will be handled by WME.
According to Variety, Joyland is the tale of sexual revolution in a patriarchal family that yearn for the birth of a baby boy. While the family wishes for boys to carry on their family line, the youngest son secretly joins an erotic dance theatre and falls for a transsexual star.
Joyland is the feature debut of the director Saim Sadiq, who previously won an award at the 2019 Venice Film Festival for his film Darling.
Joyland stars Sarwat Gilani, Salman Peerzada, Sania Saeed, Ali Junejo, Alina Khan and Rasti Farooq. The film is produced by Sarmad Khoosat, Apoorva Guru Charan and Lauren Mann.
Sadiq told Variety, "My amazing cast has given the characters of Joyland a kind of empathy and humanity that a filmmaker can only hope for and I am thrilled for the world to experience their magic.”
According to the CEO of film Constellation, the sales agency, Sadiq has "weaved a tender modern day family tale" with a weight of gender roles in a society. "It radiates the shared desire to live and love without compromise,” she said.
Today, on April 22, the director of the film took to Instagram and wrote, "I am so excited to share the first image of Joyland and deeply humbled that the film 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," while crediting his crew.
Sadiq told Images last week that he hopes Joyland generates positivity and good debate at home, in Pakistan and around the world because a lot of very passionate people have put a lot of heart and soul into this film. He also said that he and the crew plan on bringing the film to Pakistan later this year.
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