Internationally acclaimed filmmaker Mohammed Ali Naqvi appointed as PASC chief

Internationally acclaimed filmmaker Mohammed Ali Naqvi has been appointed as the new chairman of the Pakistan Academy Selection Committee (PASC) on Wednesday, media reports said.

The committee holds the crucial responsibility of selecting Pakistan’s official entry for the Academy Award Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film annually.

Naqvi, renowned for impactful storytelling, earned induction into the prestigious Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2022. Further attesting to his cinematic prowess, his highly-anticipated documentary on Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan’s (TLP) late Khadim Hussain Rizvi The Accused: Damned or Devoted garnered a Primetime Emmy nomination this year.

According to the media reports, Naqvi expressed gratitude and enthusiasm for the role.

“I am incredibly honoured and excited to take on the role as the chairman of the PASC. I am deeply grateful for this opportunity, and I commit myself to continue elevating Pakistani cinema on the international stage,” he stated.

Read More: Documentary on Khadim Rizvi bags Emmy nomination

The media reports said that Naqvi was determined to enhance Pakistani cinema’s global standing. “Several eminent professionals have confirmed their participation. I’m eager to introduce our committee members to the public in the near future. I am confident that our combined efforts will further elevate Pakistani cinema on the global stage,” he added.

The appointment marks an electrifying moment for Pakistani cinema as its narratives will gain an international recognition. Mohammed Ali Naqvi’s passion and expertise in filmmaking, combined with his commitment to social impact, indicate a promising new chapter in the journey of Pakistani cinema towards worldwide commendation.

Who is Mohammed Ali Naqvi?

Mohammed Ali (Mo) Naqvi is best known for creating the global hit Netflix Original docuseries Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror in 2021.

As a member of both the Motion Picture Academy and the Television Academy, Naqvi has received an Emmy Television Academy Honour for his work on the Showtime Original Shame. His remarkable projects comprise the Emmy-nominated Among the Believers (2015) and The Accused: Damned Or Devoted (2020) which bagged the Asian Media Award.

Naqvi has also produced fiction features, such as Big River, which was officially selected for the Berlin Film Festival, and indie comedy I Will Avenge You Iago featuring Giancarlo Esposito and Larry Pine.

Naqvi has also rendered his services as a board member of Mukhtaran Mai’s Women Welfare Group. His documentary Pakistan’s Hidden Shame revealed horrors of pedophilia in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The documentary played a key role in the establishment of a refuge for homeless children in the KP, in former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s tenure.