Pakistani cinema made a strong impact at the Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival 2026 in Canada. Several titles secured major awards across different categories. The 12th edition ran from September 30 to October 4. It featured 16 feature-length films and 30 short films from Pakistan, Canada, India, Nepal, Iran, and other countries.
Sarmad Khoosat’s Lali led the country’s wins. It received the Special Jury Prize and the Best Sound Design Award. Farazeh Syed also won Best Supporting Actress. The film debuted at the Berlinale earlier this year and also opened the festival.
Set in Sahiwal, Lali follows Zeba, played by Mamya Shajaffar. Her marriage is overshadowed by jealousy, suspicion, and rumors of a curse linked to her past. The dark comedy blends Punjabi folklore, supernatural elements, and family tensions. Moreover, the cast includes Channan Hanif, Farazeh Syed, Rasti Farooq, and Mehar Bano.
Mohammed Ali Naqvi’s Hanging by a Wire also earned major recognition. It won the Sabeen Mahmud Award for Courage in Cinema in the Documentary category. The film revisits the 2023 Battagram cable car tragedy. Eight people, including six children, were stranded around 900 feet above a river after a cable snapped.
Rescuers eventually saved all eight after a difficult operation that lasted throughout the day. The documentary reconstructs the incident through eyewitness accounts, footage from the scene, and cinematic recreations. Furthermore, it focuses on survival, community support, and the rescue effort. It is also Pakistan’s entry for this year’s Academy Awards.
Pakistan secured a win in the short-film category as well. Kamran Faiq’s The Last Glance was named Best International Short Film. The 13-minute film follows Barkaat, his pregnant wife Bushra, and their young son Ahmad as they flee their village amid violence. However, their journey takes an unexpected turn at a remote police checkpoint, where they face a difficult moral choice.
Meanwhile, The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony received an Honorable Mention in the Best Documentary category. The film follows a group of gymnasts from Karachi’s Macchar Colony. Therefore, the festival closed with Pakistani films MISAFF audiences will remember across several formats.
