Pakistan keeps pressing for stronger Oscar visibility after years of limited traction in the international feature race. This year's selection process brought a notable mix of voices to the table, including visual artist Misha Japanwala.
Japanwala joined the Pakistan Academy Selection Committee for the 2026 cycle. Deputy chairperson Sana Zahra Jafri led the panel. Other members included veteran actors Marina Khan and Hina Khawaja Bayat, directors Nabeel Qureshi and Shahzad Rafique, producer Badar Ikram, and actor-influencer Tamkenat Mansoor.
The group selected Mohammed Ali Naqvi's documentary Hanging by a Wire as Pakistan's official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards. It marks the first time the country has put forward a documentary in the category.
The film revisits the 2023 cable car rescue in Battagram, where schoolchildren and adults hung hundreds of feet above a ravine. It blends real footage with reconstructions and premiered at Sundance.
Jafri explained the panel's makeup in clear terms. “Our priority was to put together a panel that was not only experienced in cinema, but also diverse in terms of age, gender, professional background and creative perspective. We wanted each member to bring a distinct relationship with film and culture, because ultimately the strength of a jury lies in the range of perspectives around the table,” she said.
She singled out Japanwala's place on it. “Japanwala needs no introduction.
She has made a significant mark internationally as a Pakistani artist, with her latest work including sculptural pieces created for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, worn by Lupita Nyong’o. Her contribution to global cinema as a Pakistani artist is noteworthy, and we felt her perspective was an important one to have on the committee,” Jafri added.
Japanwala built her practice around body casting. Raised in Karachi, she studied fashion design at Parsons School of Design. Her resin and metal sculptures reclaim the female form and challenge shame. They have appeared on Cardi B, Gigi Hadid, and Lil Nas X.
Forbes named her to its 30 Under 30 Asia list. Nyong’o wore one of her breastplates to the 2023 Tony Awards before recommending her for The Odyssey. Japanwala created an asymmetrical bronze neck-and-shoulder plate and a choker for the actress as Helen of Troy.
Naqvi stepped aside as chairperson this cycle to submit his own film. He had held the role since 2023. “I’m honoured that Hanging by a Wire has been selected to represent Pakistan in the International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards, and grateful to the Pakistan Academy Selection Committee,” he said. He called it a disaster film that really happened, shot in large part by the community itself.
Jafri praised the film's seamless mix of archival and new material. She noted it captures Pakistani resilience, contradictions, and faith. The committee reviewed a wide range of submissions this year. Members watched every film and delivered rankings on deadline. The official announcement came on October 1 at the Mosaic International Film Festival in Mississauga, Canada, where the documentary also won the Sabeen Mahmud Award for Courage in Cinema.
Jafri herself brings deep credits. She co-produced the Oscar-shortlisted Joyland. Her short Permanent Guest premiered at TIFF 2025. She co-wrote Yasmeen’s Element, which played SXSW.
Including an artist known for wearable sculpture expands the usual film-industry lens. Japanwala's international path and focus on bodies and autonomy offer a different cultural read. The same goes for Mansoor's social media work on justice issues. Jafri stressed that Academy rules demand independence, craft representation, and no conflicts.
Pakistan has submitted films since 1959 with sparse shortlist success.
Joyland reached that stage. A documentary first signals openness to nonfiction forms that travel. Japanwala's seat may encourage more cross-disciplinary picks ahead. Her global ties could also sharpen how Pakistani stories reach wider voters. The film now heads into the awards calendar with theatrical plans in the UK and US plus a Paramount+ date.
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