Pakistan’s first-ever hand-drawn animated feature film, The Glassworker, written by Usman Riaz, has made history by being selected for the animated film category at the 97th Academy Awards. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Thursday that The Glassworker is among the 31 animated films, 169 documentaries, and 85 international films eligible for Oscar nominations this year, according to The Hollywood sources.
Produced by Geo Films in collaboration with Mano Animation Studios, The Glassworker marks a significant achievement as Pakistan’s inaugural animated submission for the Oscars. The film will compete against industry giants such as Pixar’s Inside Out 2, the highest-grossing animated film of all time, DreamWorks Animation’s The Wild Robot, and other contenders like Kung Fu Panda 4, Despicable Me 4, and the Japanese film Kensuke’s Kingdom.
The critically acclaimed film took 10 years to create and has been praised for its exceptional filmmaking elements, including storytelling, cinematography, music, art, animation, and voice performances. The film follows the story of a young boy, Vincent, and his father, Tomas, who run a fine glass workshop in their country. Their lives are disrupted by an impending war, which they wish to avoid.
In addition to being selected in the animated feature category, The Glassworker was also officially chosen for the 2025 Oscars in the International Feature Film category, alongside entries from 84 countries, including India’s Laapata Ladies, directed by Kiran Rao.
Other notable films in the competition this year include France’s Emilia Pérez, Germany’s The Seed of the Sacred Fig, and Brazil’s I’m Still Here. The shortlists for these categories will be revealed on December 17, followed by the final nominations announcement on January 23, 2025.
