“We are currently self-distributing the film in Pakistan."
The Pakistani Academy Selection Committee (PASC) has concluded that the horror film In Flames will be submitted for an Oscar nomination.
In Flames centres on the aftermath of a family patriarch’s death and follows the journey of a mother and daughter who must survive evil forces that threaten to engulf them.
The film has been produced by Anam Abbas and is executively produced by Shant Joshi, Todd Brown and Maxime Cottray.
The cast includes Ramesha Nawal, Bakhtawar Mazhar, Mohammad Ali Hashmi, Adnan Shah Tipu and Omar Javaid.
Chairperson of the PASC, Mohammed Ali Naqvi said he was thrilled over submitting In Flames as Pakistan’s official entry for the International Feature category at the 96th Academy Awards.
He said: “This selection not only underscores the film’s brilliance but also marks a pivotal moment in the evolving narrative of Pakistani cinema.
“In Flames is a testament to the boundless potential of Pakistani cinema on the global stage.”
Director Zarrar Kahn thanked the Oscar committee for the nomination and said:
“We are currently self-distributing the film in Pakistan.
“Despite the clearance of the censor board, we were considered too controversial by local distributors, so we are doing it ourselves.
“The response from Pakistani audiences has been rapturous and we are just grateful to be able to show the film in the city it was made in.”
In Flames premiered at the Director’s Fortnight stream at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. The same year, it was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The film focuses on the exposure of brutal patriarchal systems and the power that a community holds, offering comfort to oppressed people.
The story states that the hope of individuals will never let them down.
The 2023 PASC jury includes names such as Ahmed Ali Akbar, Bilal Lashari, Fatima Bhutto, Fawad Khan, Frieha Altaf and Haya Fatima Iqbal.
It also includes Mehreen Jabbar, Nadia Afgan and Saim Sadiq.
The film has been receiving excellent reviews and currently holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Christian Zilko of IndieWire said:
“Zarrar Kahn’s genre-bending horror movie is a Kafkaesque saga of niceties gone awry.”
“What begins as a story of a poor family relying on the kindness of their community quickly turns into a hellish tale of how the ground is always shifting underneath you when all of your benefactors have an angle”.
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