Govt Clears Joyland For Nationwide Release in Cinemas

The Government has decided to clear Joyland for a nationwide release in Cinemas on 18 November. The controversial award-winning film has been given full approval by the Central Board of Film Censors (CBFC) after a second review by an eight-member committee formed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the head of the Prime Minister’s Strategic Reforms, Salman Sufi, announced on Wednesday.

“The film Joyland has been cleared for release by the Censor board review committee formed at the direction of [Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif].” he wrote on Twitter. “Freedom of speech is fundamental right and should be nourished within ambits of the law.” he added.

The Central Board of Film Censors (CBFM) banned the release of Joyland on 11 November 2022 after complaints were received regarding “objectionable and immoral content” being portrayed in the movie that goes against the “social values and moral standards of our society.”

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formed an eight-member committee to review Joyland and decide whether it was appropriate for release in Pakistan after number of complaints received over the ban of the movie on social media, which left netizens divided using hashtags #BanJoyland and #ReleaseJoyland.

The committee comprised of the minister for political affairs and economic affairs and law and justice chairperson, minister for information and broadcasting, minister for communications, minister for board of investment, minister for information technology and telecommunications, adviser to the PM on Gilgit-Baltistan, PTA chairman and PEMRA chairman.

In its decision, the committee said that the movie could be released in the country, but certain scenes would have to be edited out of the film. However, the Government is yet to withdraw its notification regarding the “uncertified” status in order for the film to be screened in cinemas.

Joyland has already won Pakistan’s first Cannes entry, while bagging several other awards at international film festivals and it is Pakistan’s entry for the Oscars, which can only be eligible if the film is screened in the country for at least seven days with daily screenings at least three times as per the rules for the submission of a feature film.

Furthermore, Joyland stars the likes of Ali Junejo, Rasti Farooq, Alina Khan, Sarwat Gillani, Salman Peerzada, Sohail Sameer and Sania Saeed.

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