List of Pakistani submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film

Pakistan has been submitting entries for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film since 1959. The award is presented every year by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (USA) to a feature-length film produced outside the United States and its territories, featuring mainly non-English dialogue. Eligible entries may include live-action, animated, or documentary films. The category became a regular competitive award in 1956, while earlier selections were given special honorary recognition for foreign-language cinema.

Pakistan’s first-ever submission was The Day Shall Dawn, which was entered for the 32nd Academy Awards in 1959, followed by Ghunghat for the 36th Academy Awards in 1963. After this early participation, the country did not submit another film for nearly five decades until the Pakistani Academy Selection Committee returned to the process with Zinda Bhaag for the 86th Academy Awards in 2013.

As of the 98th Academy Awards (2025), Pakistan has officially submitted a total of thirteen films. However, none of these entries has received a final nomination. The closest achievement came with Joyland, which made history by being shortlisted among the final 15 films for the 95th Academy Awards (2022), although it did not progress to the final nomination stage. For the 98th edition, Pakistan again invited entries, but no Pakistani film appeared in the Academy’s final list of eligible international feature submissions.

Submission Process

According to Academy rules, each country is allowed to submit one film annually for consideration in the International Feature Film category through an approved selection committee. Films must be produced outside the United States, contain predominantly non-English dialogue, and include accurate English subtitles.

The selection process involves two stages: first, a shortlist of 15 films is created through preliminary voting, and then final nominations are decided, selecting five films from that shortlist.

Pakistan’s earliest entries included The Day Shall Dawn (1959) and Ghunghat (1963). The Day Shall Dawn, directed by A. J. Kardar, was produced in then East Pakistan and depicts the struggles of local fishing communities. The film later gained renewed international attention after its restoration and screening in the Cannes Classics section.

The revival of Pakistan’s participation began in 2013 with Zinda Bhaag, marking the country’s return to the Oscars submission process. Later, Joyland achieved a major milestone by reaching the Academy’s 15-film shortlist in 2022, becoming the first Pakistani film to do so.

In 2023, filmmaker Mohammed Ali Naqvi was appointed as the chair of the Pakistan Academy Selection Committee, replacing Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. Despite renewed efforts and submission invitations for the 98th Academy Awards, Pakistan did not feature in the final list of eligible entries.

The following films have been submitted by Pakistan for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.