kay, so you know how Pakistani cinema sometimes gets overlooked on the international scene? Well, not this time. Two of our films just went to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Film Festival in China and came back with some serious accolades. First up is Deemak—a psychological horror film directed by Rafay Rashdi, with Samina Peerzada, Faysal Quraishi, and Sonya Hussyn in the lead roles.
The story follows a woman whose mental health is deteriorating over some form of invisible bug infestation in her house. But here’s the thing—it’s not really about bugs. It’s about her own buried trauma eating away at her from the inside. She’s not the only one with buried trauma, as we watch the film. But the film’s ability to take this idea and convert it into a psychological and horror film and use layered storytelling is perhaps its strongest point.
The film snagged the Best Editing award, and director Rafay Rashdi was over the moon about it. He called it a “historic win for Pakistani cinema on an international stage,” which—let’s be real—it is. Sonya Hussyn was there to accept the trophy alongside him, and she posted on Instagram afterwards, calling it “a proud moment for Pakistan.” You can tell this meant everything to them.
Then there’s Nayab, which is a completely different kind of film that also went to SCO. Umair Nasir Ali directed this one, with Yumna Zaidi and Usama Khan in lead roles. Nayab is about a girl from a middle-class family who wants to play cricket – professionally. And before you roll your eyes thinking “oh, another sports movie,” this one actually digs into something real—what happens when a girl wants to break into the proverbial boys’ club? The family pressure, the social expectations, and the gender bias all come into play.
The jury at SCO ate it up. They gave it the Jury Special Award out of 19 films from different SCO countries. Ali was pretty emotional about it, saying the win felt both “deeply personal and profoundly national” at the same time. The jury—which had filmmakers from all over the SCO region—apparently loved the storytelling and how authentic it felt.
What we love about Ali’s reaction is that he’s not just celebrating his own success. He’s also highlighting “the stories Pakistan carries, the voices it raises, and the talent it holds.” Plus, he’s already thinking about future collaborations with China and other countries. Here’s what’s really exciting though: these wins show that Pakistani filmmakers are finally taking risks in the commercial space like making horror movies, or sports dramas for the average cinema audience. Such wins are not only a validation for emerging filmmakers but also indicate Pakistan’s role as an emerging collaborator in an era of globalisation and going beyond Hindi cinema. Congratulations to both these films, and their casts and crews.