Pakistan Picks 'Hanging by a Wire' as Oscar Submission
Pakistan has selected Mohammed Ali Naqvi's documentary 'Hanging by a Wire' as its entry for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards.
Pakistan has selected the documentary Hanging by a Wire as its submission for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards, the Pakistan Academy Selection Committee announced. Deputy chair Sana Zahra Jafri confirmed the pick.
It marks the first time a documentary will represent Pakistan in the category. The film is directed by Mohammed Ali Naqvi and written and produced by Naqvi and Bilal Sami.
Hanging by a Wire is set for a streaming release on Paramount+ on Oct. 28, 2026.
In October 2025, the film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in the World Cinema Documentary Competition lineup before playing the Tribeca Festival, as reported by Variety.
The documentary draws on the August 2023 cable car emergency in Battagram, northern Pakistan, when a cable snapped and left eight passengers, including six schoolboys, suspended about 900 feet above a ravine.
Pakistan has submitted 13 films in the category since 1959 without a nomination. Saim Sadiq's Joyland remains its only shortlist appearance, in 2022.
Quick answers
What is Pakistan's Oscar submission for Best International Feature Film?
Pakistan selected the documentary 'Hanging by a Wire,' directed by Mohammed Ali Naqvi, as its submission for the 99th Academy Awards.
When does 'Hanging by a Wire' start streaming?
The film is set for a streaming release on Paramount+ on Oct. 28, 2026.
Has Pakistan ever been nominated for Best International Feature Film?
Pakistan has submitted 13 films since 1959 without a nomination. Saim Sadiq's 'Joyland' was its only shortlist appearance, in 2022.