"An aching consideration of gender and sexuality." - Lovia Gyarkye, Hollywood Reporter

"A bittersweet and melancholic interrogation of sexuality and gender roles that pulls very few punches." - Robert Daniels, rogerebert.com 

"The frame moves slowly, if at all, but it always brims with physical and emotional energy; there’s always something in the ether, whether embodied by dazzling displays of light as characters move across stages and club floors or by breathtaking silences" - Siddhant Adlakha, Indiewire

December 28 & 30 | The gentle and mild Haider, who lives with his wife and family in Pakistan, gets a job at a burlesque club, telling his family he’s a theater manager, when in actuality, he is a backup dancer. Able to break out of his shell at the club, Haider quickly becomes infatuated with the strong-willed trans woman Biba, who runs the show - an attraction that opens his world view in unexpected and intimate ways. JOYLAND is a bittersweet and melancholic debut from writer/director Saim Sadiq, introducing a bold and distinctive new voice. Briefly banned prior to its release in Pakistan, JOYLAND went on to be the country’s submission for consideration to the Academy Awards. Film Center exclusive.


Awards & Nominations

Winner - Queer Palm, Cannes Film Festival
Winner - Un Certain Regard Jury Prize, Cannes Film Festival
Winner - Directors to Watch, Palm Springs International Film Festival


Be Kind, Rewind SeriesJoin us as we review the best and biggest films from 2023––from favorite titles that graced the Film Center’s screens, to movies that thrilled audiences across the country. As the days left on 2023’s calendar slip past, BE KIND, REWIND invites you to consider how these films reveal not just the movies of the year, but 2023 itself. View full series.


The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu


5 QUESTIONS WITH SAIM SADIQ

(Interview from the March/April issue of the Gazette)

JOYLAND is the first Pakistani film to premiere at Cannes Film Festival, receiving a standing ovation and universal acclaim. Months later, it was briefly banned in Pakistan on the eve of its theatrical release. How did you navigate such contrary experiences?
It’s honestly been a bit crazy for me personally and for the whole team too. The bipolar experience of being humbled by the insane amount of love the film has been getting but also getting death threats in your DMs from folks who haven't even seen the film but are offended by it has really been mind numbing. I did not expect either this level of love or hate. I tried to navigate it by just doing whatever felt best for the film. It was always a film worth fighting for and so we all did when the ban happened and ensured that JOYLAND turns a page in the dark history of film censorship in Pakistan by becoming the first film to get unbanned. 

What advice would you give to students studying film/filmmaking? 
I think one should watch all kinds of films even if they aren’t the kind of film you like to watch or make. You can still learn from them. I have learned so many things from bad films also. And when you’re making your film, listen to everyone but do only what you want to do. It’s much easier to live with mistakes if they were your own.

What does "independent film" and "independent filmmaking" mean to you? 
I think my producer Apoorva Guru Charan put it rather nicely once that independent filmmaking means you don’t have to wait for a studio’s go-ahead and you can just go ahead and green-light your own movie. That is pretty much what we did and that attitude really allowed us to not only retain the confidence that we’ll be able to make this film but also retain the control on how and what we wanted to make. I think in essence, that is independent film. It’s obviously tough as hell for first time filmmakers but in the end you come out with a film that you can stand by as an artist forever. 

What is a memorable moviegoing experience you've had? 
I walked into Edward Yang’s A BRIGHTER SUMMER DAY at BAM in New York not knowing anything about the film except that it's four hours long. I was dragged by a friend. In the end I was so moved I didn't want the film to ever end. 

What film do you watch again and again? 
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF A SPOTLESS MIND.