Pakistan bars Oscar contender 'Joyland' for containing 'highly objectionable' material

The Pakistani government has barred Saim Sadiq’s Oscar contender Joyland from being shown in cinemas.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting sent forth an order dated November 11, that the country's censor board had given a censor certificate however the ministry has decided to reverse that decision.

According to Variety, the order states, "Written complaints were received that the film contains highly objectionable material which do not conform with the social values and moral standards of our society and is clearly repugnant to the norms of ‘decency and morality’ as laid down in Section 9 of the Motion Picture Ordinance, 1979."

The order further read, "Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 9(2) (a) of the said Ordinance and after conducting a comprehensive inquiry, the Federal Government declares the feature film titled ‘Joyland’ as an uncertified film for the whole of Pakistan in the cinemas which fall under the jurisdiction of CBFC with immediate effect."

Joyland was scheduled to release in Pakistan on November 18. So far Saim Sadiq and the film's producers have not given any comment on the matter.

The movie made its debut at Cannes earlier in 2022, where it won the jury prize. Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai helms the project as executive producer.

The movie is Pakistan’s entry in the Oscars’ international feature category.