Sam Sadiq is a Pakistani director who has directed several documentaries and short films. He gained recognition when his film Joyland became the first Pakistani film to enter Cannes and win multiple awards internationally in 2022.
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Wiki/Biography
Sam Sadiq was born on Thursday, 28 March 1991 (age 31 years; as of 2022) in Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan. In 2010, after completing his schooling at St. Mary’s Academy in Pakistan, Sam Sadiq joined Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), where he earned a BSc (Hons) Anthropology/Sociology degree. According to Sam, he did not focus on his studies during graduation but managed to achieve a GPA of 3.1. Talking about this in a Facebook post, he said,
At LUMS, I didn’t really care about my academics at all. I somehow managed 3.1, bunked classes, traveled to seven different countries, made a risky documentary about blasphemy laws for my SPROJ, won Model UN awards, organized an international student conference, Failed quizzes, made fun of them, and made friends who really mattered to me. And in all this imperfection, I lived the most regrettable experience of my life.
After graduating from LUMS, in 2014, Sam Saadiq enrolled at Columbia University School of the Arts. There he earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in Film Direction/Screenwriting. He graduated from Columbia University School of the Arts in the US in 2019.
Physical Appearance
Height (Approx): 5′ 9″
Hair Color: Black
Eye colour: Light brown
Family
Sam Sadiq belongs to a conservative middle-class Pakistani family.
parents and siblings
His father is a retired Pakistani Army officer.
A photo of Sam Saadiq with his parents
His sister, Abir Sadiq, works as an information technology analyst at Coles in Melbourne, Australia.
A picture of Abir Sadiq with his mother Nadia Afghan
wife and children
As of November 2022, Sam Sadiq is unmarried.
relationships/affairs
Sam Sadiq is in a relationship with Maggie Briggs, who is a film producer.
A photo of Sam Saadiq with Maggie Briggs
livelihood
Author
Saim Sadiq worked as a writer at Pakistan Today from February 2011 to July 2011. From July 2011 to August 2012, Saim worked as a writer at the Express Tribune.
Documentary film
While studying at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Sam Sadiq made several documentaries on religious minorities and children living in Pakistan. His documentaries were broadcast not only on various Pakistani channels but also on BBC. In 2014, Sam Sadiq produced a documentary film titled Stepmotherland, a documentary based on the blasphemy laws of Pakistan. The same year, he co-directed a Pakistani music video titled Kithay Nain Na Zorin. During his graduation, Sam Sadiq along with his friend started a media production company named Tamasha.
A poster of Sam Sadiq’s media production company Tamasha
short film
In 2015, Sam Sadiq made his debut as a director with the short film The Letters of Mikael Muhammad. He also wrote short film scripts.
In 2016, he directed and wrote the screenplay for Blackbird, a short film. In 2017, he directed Paasban (The Caretaker), which was screened at several film festivals around the world.
A poster of Pasbaan (The Caretaker)
In 2018, Sam Saadiq directed and wrote the screenplay for the short film Nowhere. In 2019, Sam Saadiq directed and wrote the screenplay for Darling, a short film that won the Orizzonti Award for Best Short Film at the 2019 Venice Film Festival and the Special Jury Recognition Award at the 2020 SXSW Film Awards.
Sam Saadiq receiving the Orizzonti Award for Best Short Film at the 2019 Venice Film Festival
Sam Saadiq holds the SXSW award that went to his directorial short film Darling
The same year, Sam Saadiq directed another short film Nice Talking to You, which premiered at the 2019 SXSW Film Festival. The film was screened at the 2019 Palm Springs International Film Festival. In 2019, the short film was shortlisted by BAFTA for Best Student Film.
feature film
In 2022, Sam Sadiq directed his first feature film Joyland. The film stars Ali Junejo, Rasti Farooq, Alina Khan and Sarwat Gilani. Sam also wrote the script of the film.
On 23 May 2022, the film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where it was shortlisted for Un Certain Regard, part of the Official Selection of the Cannes Film Festival, and competed for the Camera d’Or award. Joyland became the first Pakistani film to make it to the Cannes Film Festival. The film also received a standing ovation from the crowd at the festival. The film made it to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), where it was screened in the Special Presentations section on 8 September 2022.
Sam Saadiq at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)
On 6 October 2022, at the 27th Busan International Film Festival, Joyland was screened in the “A Window on Asian Cinema” section. In November 2022, the Pakistani government banned the film, which was scheduled to be released in the country on 18 November 2022. The film was approved for release in Pakistan after receiving “A” certification from the Federal and Provincial Censor Boards of Pakistan. On 11 November 2022, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting banned the film after a religious political party leader filed a complaint about the film. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said in its notification,
Written complaints were received that the film contains highly objectionable content which is not in keeping with the social values and moral standards of our society and is clearly repugnant to the norms of ‘decency and morality’ laid down in Section 9 of the Motion Picture Ordinance. , 1979,” the order said. “Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 9(2)(a) of the said Ordinance and after conducting a comprehensive investigation, the Federal Government declares the feature film titled ‘Joyland’ to be an uncertified film in its entirety. Pakistan in theaters falling under the jurisdiction of CBFC with immediate effect.”
Certificate which was issued to Joyland by the Censor Board of Sindh Province
Saim Sadiq called the government’s decision unconstitutional. However, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting reversed its earlier decision on 16 December 2022 and approved the film’s release in Pakistan after censoring some scenes. The film was released in Pakistan on 18 November 2022. Joyland has won several awards including the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize and the Queer Palm Award at the Cannes Film Festival, and the Best Film from the Subcontinent category at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. , Sutherland Award – Honorable Mention at the London Film Festival, Young Cinema Award at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA), and the Golden Pram Award for Best Feature Film at the Zagreb Film Festival. In September 2022, the Pakistani Academy Selection Committee (PASC) selected Joyland as Pakistan’s official submission for the 95th Academy Awards (Oscars).
award
- Sam Sadiq won the Model United Nations (MUN) award during her graduation.
- Sam Saadiq won Vimeo’s Best Director Award at the Columbia University Film Festival for the short film Nice Talking to You.
- Sam Saadiq received a Kodak Gold Award for directing Nice Talking to You.
Facts/General Knowledge
- Sam Sadiq served as Director General of LUMUN from April 2013 to May 2014.
A photo of Sam Sadiq while serving as Director General of LUMUN
- Sam Sadiq smokes.
Picture of Sam Sadiq holding a cigarette
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn