The Glassworker, an animated film from Pakistan, has been submitted to the Academy Awards for consideration. This film will be nominated in the International Feature Film category at the 97th Oscars and will have to compete with every other foreign language film presented to the Academy by other countries. The fact that Glassworker is competing in the International Feature Film category, rather than the Best Animated Film Category, shows some real faith in this film.  The Glassworker comes off as a tribute to various Studio Ghibli films, with a similar style to those films. The Glassworker is actually Pakistan’s first animated film. Not only does the Glassworker pay tribute to the animation style of Studio Ghibli films, but it also mirrors the various themes found in Studio Ghibli films.

The Glassworker pays tribute to the themes in various Studio Ghibli movies, by having an anti-war message, according to the plot outline for the film. The Glassworker is set in the fictional world of Watertown, which blends elements from the West and South Asia. When Watertown is beset by war by a mostly unseen enemy, the local Glassworker, Tomas, is forced to use his skills to help his country win the war, despite his pacifist beliefs. The plot is intentionally vague, with the reason why this war is occurring is not explained, the message is against war as a concept. The main character is Vicent Oliver, Tomas’s son. The film also features a romantic story, where Vincent has to compete with his romantic rival Malik and tries to win the affection of Alliz, a local musician. The Glassworker also features a subplot with Djinns, ancient spirits from Islamic myth.

The Glassworker is directed by Usman Riaz. The Glassworker is also the first Urdu language animated film, featuring Pakistani actors, with Taimoor “Mooroo” Salahuddin playing Vincent Oliver, Mariam Riaz Paracha playing Alliz and Khaled Anam playing Tomas. Countries are only allowed to present one film to the Academy Awards in the Foreign Language category, so this being the film Pakistan presents to the Academy is a great honor for the film and animation in Pakistan in general. The Glassworker was released in Pakistan on July 26, 2024. The film made 30 million rupees at the box office in Pakistan.

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