Pakistan has submitted films for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film since 1959. The award is presented annually by the United States Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to a feature-length film produced outside the United States and its territories with a predominantly non-English dialogue track. Eligible submissions may be live-action, animated, or documentary features. The category became an annual competitive award in 1956; before then, the Academy had presented special awards for foreign-language films.
As of 2026, Pakistan has submitted fourteen films, but none of them were nominated.
Submissions Under the Academy's current rules, each country or region may submit one film for International Feature Film consideration through an Academy-approved selection committee. Eligible films must be feature-length works produced outside the United States and its territories, with a predominantly non-English dialogue track and accurate, legible English-language subtitles. Nominations are determined in two rounds: a preliminary vote selects a 15-film shortlist, and a nominations vote selects the five nominees.
Pakistan's first submission was The Day Shall Dawn (1959), followed by Ghunghat (1963). After Ghunghat, Pakistan did not submit another film for five decades, until the Pakistani Academy Selection Committee selected Zinda Bhaag (2013).
Joyland (2022) advanced to the December shortlists, but it was not nominated.
Since July 2023, Pakistani filmmaker Mohammed Ali Naqvi was appointed chairman of the Pakistan Academy Selection Committee, succeeding Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. For the 98th Academy Awards, no Pakistani film appeared on the Academy's final list of eligible international feature films for that ceremony. Hanging by a Wire (2026), marked the first documentary selected to represent the country.
Most of the films submitted are primary in Urdu. The following films have been submitted by Pakistan for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. Year(Ceremony) Film title used in nomination Original title Language(s) Director(s) Result 1959(32nd) The Day Shall Dawn Urdu 1963(36th) Ghunghat Urdu 2013(86th) Zinda Bhaag Punjabi and 2014(87th) Dukhtar Urdu, Pashto 2015(88th) Moor Urdu, Pashto Jami 2016(89th) Mah e Mir Urdu Anjum Shahzad 2017(90th) Saawan Urdu Farhan Alam 2018(91st) Cake Urdu Asim Abbasi 2019(92nd) Laal Kabootar Urdu Kamal Khan 2020(93rd) Circus of Life Urdu, Punjabi Sarmad Khoosat 2022(95th) Joyland Urdu, Punjabi Saim Sadiq 2023(96th) In Flames Urdu Zarrar Kahn 2024(97th) The Glassworker Urdu, English Usman Riaz 2026(99th) Hanging by a Wireہینگنگ بائی اے وائر English, Urdu, Pashtu Mohammed Ali Naqvi
See also List of Academy Award winners and nominees for Best International Feature Film List of countries by number of Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film List of Pakistani Academy Award winners and nominees
Notes
References
External links The Official Academy Awards Database