Pakistan’s first hand-drawn animated film, The Glassworker, has been selected as the country’s official submission for the 2025 Academy Awards.
The film will compete in the prestigious International Feature Film category at the 97th Oscars.
Director Usman Riaz shared the news on Instagram and expressed his gratitude.
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The film, a feature that took its creator Usman Riaz a decade to complete since he first picked up a pencil and started to sketch follows the story of young Vincent and his father Tomas, who run a glass workshop, and a war that threatens to upend their lives.
A clip of The Glassworker was previously screened at major international film festivals, including Cannes in 2023 and the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France in 2022.
While last year’s entry, In Flames, did not make the Oscars shortlist, there is hope that The Glassworker will put Pakistan on the map for animated storytelling.
