Saba Qamar starrer ‘Kamli' wins three awards at Minsk Film Festival

In a significant stride for Pakistan's film industry, Saba Qamar starrer 'Kamli' secured three prestigious awards at the Minsk International Film Festival also known as Listapad.

Saba Qamar earned the Best Actor Award, while Sarmad Khoosat was honoured with the Best Director Award, the film also received the Viewers' Choice accolade at the renowned Listapad Film Festival in Belarus.

The joyous news was shared by Saba Qamar on Instagram, where she posted a snippet of the award ceremony, capturing the announcement of Best Director Award for Sarmad Khoosat in the Kamli category.

The ‘Kamli’ actor revealed in her Instagram story that the 2022 film, presented by Khoosat Films, secured awards in three distinct categories.

Khoosat Films also shared this announcement through their official Instagram account.

The Pakistani movie 'Kamli' features Saba Qamar, Sania Saeed, Nimra Bucha, and newcomer Hamza Khawaja in prominent roles. 

Released in 2022, 'Kamli' not only garnered acclaim domestically but also had its inaugural European screening at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) in 2023.

Set in the picturesque rural landscapes of Pakistan, the film revolves around themes of love, betrayal, disappearance, and mystery. Saba Qamar's portrayal of Hina, a woman searching for her husband Saqlain, missing for eight years in the valleys of ‘Soon’ is commendable.

Sania Saeed delivers a compelling performance as Sakina, a devout and blind woman who teaches the Holy Quran to children. Nimra Bucha excels as Zeenat, an artist grappling with her inner struggles, while Omair Rana adds a distinctive touch as her husband.

The accolades garnered by 'Kamli' signify Samad Khoosat's unwavering determination to revive Pakistani cinema in the face of setbacks.

As he acknowledged in one of his interviews, “Kamli became a bandaid for the scar Zindagi Tamasha left.”

Also helmed in Khoosat’s production, ‘Joyland’ made history as the first Pakistani film to make it to the Cannes Film Festival in 2022. Not only did it participate, but it also clinched the prestigious jury prize in the "Un Certain Regard" competition, a category known for spotlighting artistically daring films.