Oscilloscope Laboratories shared the official trailer for Joyland, the award-winning queer drama selected as Official Pakistani Entry for Best International Feature at the 95th Academy Awards. Starring in the film are Ali Junejo, Rasti Farooq, Alina Khan, Sarwat Gilani, Sohail Sameer, Salmaan Peerzada, and Sania Saeed
Written and directed by Saim Sadiq, Joyland world premiered at 2022 Cannes Film Festival where it won the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize and Queer Palm; and opens in theaters in New York, NY at the Film Forum on April 7, 2023, and Los Angeles, CA at the Landmark Nuart on April 21, 2023, with additional cities to follow.
The debut feature from writer-director Saim Sadiq, Joyland explores the many sides of love and desire in a patriarchal society. Gentle and timid, Haider (Ali Junejo) lives with his wife Mumtaz (Rasti Farooq), his father, and his elder brother’s family in Lahore, Pakistan. Following a long spell of unemployment, Haider finally lands a job at a Bollywood-style burlesque, telling his family he is a theater manager, when in actuality, he is a backup dancer. The unusual position shakes up the steadfast traditional dynamics of his household and enables Haider to break out of his shell. As he acclimates to the new job, Haider becomes infatuated with the strong-willed trans woman Biba (Alina Khan) who runs the show—an unforeseen partnership that opens his eyes and ultimately his worldview, in ways both unexpected and intimate.
Watch the official trailer for Joyland.