Malala Yousafzi joins team Joyland as Executive Producer

KARACHI: Malala Yousafzai has time and again pushed boundaries and become a role model for not just women but the whole of Pakistan. Expanding her horizons yet again, the young leader recently announced her own production company, Extracurricular. And of course, the first project that Malala Yousafzai has taken up as producer is none other than Pakistan’s current favourite, Joyland!

Only a couple of days ago, Joyland was announced as Pakistan’s official submission for the Oscars 2023. Now, Yousafzai is ready to board the plan as Executive Producer. “I am incredibly proud to support a film that proves Pakistani artists are among the best in global cinema. ‘Joyland’ invites us to open our eyes to the people closest to us — to see our family members and friends as they are, not colored by our own expectations or societal bias,” Yousafzai told Variety.

Prior to its Oscar consideration, Joyland became the first Pakistani film to be selected for Cannes Film Festival also won at the prestigious film festival. Since then, the film and its team have travelled across the world including Sydney, Melbourne and Toronto and gathered praises from each screening. It is currently playing at both the BFI London Film Festival, where it is competing for the Sutherland Award, which recognizes the most original and imaginative directorial debut, and the Busan International Film Festival, where it is in the A Window on Asian Cinema strand.

 Joyland will be releasing in Pakistan on November 18.