Another day, another Pakistani making our hearts swell with pride! Pakistani filmmaker Saim Sadiq has made it to the esteemed 75th Cannes film festival, that too, for the second time.

While we are on this subject, do you know who was the first Pakistani filmmaker to make an appearance at Cannes? Or better yet, who was the first-ever Pakistani actor and actress to do so?

Well, let’s take a trip down memory lane, shall we? Scroll down to find 5 Pakistanis who made it to Cannes, including the most recent, Saim Sadiq.

1. Saim Sadiq

‘Joyland,’ a feature film by Saim Sadiq has been chosen to be one of the 14 films to be screened in the ‘Un Certain Regard’ category at the film festival. According to reports, this will also be the first Pakistani feature film to have made it to Cannes.

Little to no information has been revealed about the film as of now, however, we are definitely keeping an eye on this one. According to Indie Wire, the film is “rumored to star a trans character.” We’re intrigued, are you?

Interestingly, this isn’t Saim’s first rodeo, he also attended Festival De Cannes in 2019 for his directorial project, ‘Darlings.’ He is known for his work in ‘Nice Talking To You’ & ‘August Sky.’ His latest venture includes Saba Qamar and Sania Saeed starrer ‘Kamli’, for which he is the co-editor.

2. Adnan Siddiqui

Not many people know that Pakistan’s debut at Cannes was made possible by veteran actor, Adnan Siddiqui, back in 2008. He made an appearance at the distinguished film festival for the Hollywood film, ‘A Mighty Heart’ along with Hollywood stars Angelina Jolie & Bradd Pitt.

3. Iram Parveen Bilal

Before Saim Sadiq, Pakistani-American filmmaker Iram Parveen Bilal was invited to Cannes for her film Wakhri.’ She made it in the acclaimed ‘Cinefondation L’Atelier’ program that “picks 15 directors with particularly promising projects for a seven-day intensive fast track finance program.” (Arab News)

Her film Wakhri revolves around “an accidental social media star who learns the harsh cost of wearing masks in the real world,” Iram told Arab News.

“The film deals with themes like hypocrisy, trolling, and the ultimate empowerment of self.”

Iran Parveen Bilal

Wait, there’s more! Her first film ‘Josh’ made it to Netflix and was the first-ever Pakistani film to do so.

4. Mahira Khan

Mahira Khan made a glamorous debut at Cannes in 2019 as an official spokesperson for L’Oreal Paris hair in Pakistan. This was a particularly significant move on the part of the renowned brand, as it chose to invite a Pakistani to Cannes for the first time, indicating a belief in Pakistan’s developing business market.

The actress served major style goals and each of her looks was a head-turner.

5. Armeena Rana Khan

Armeena Rana Khan was the first Pakistani actress to attend the Cannes Film Festival in 2013 for ‘Writhe’, a short film by British director Sheraz Ali.

“Another film, Stranger within Me, also got selected for Cannes where I played the main lead. As for the experience, it was wonderful to move around the same place where Steven Spielberg and Nicole Kidman were also present!” she told Dawn.

Pakistanis are winning big internationally, be it in music, film, or fashion. The excitement & anticipation has us wondering – what’s next?

Which Pakistani Would You Love To See At The Cannes Film Festival In 2023? Vote Now!

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Sources used in this article include Dawn Images, Arab News, Dawn News, and Express Tribune