Pakistani filmmaker Sarmad Khoosat has won Best Director for Lali at the 15th DC South Asian Film Festival (DCSAFF). The award marks his second directing honour at the festival, following his win for Kamli three years ago.
The festival announced the result on its official Instagram account on Tuesday, September 15. Khoosat shared the news through an Instagram story the same day, congratulating his team and thanking the organisers.
“We won an award at DCAFF. Mubarak to my Lali team and bohat shukria to the lovely people who have been bringing our stories to Amreeka for the last 15 years with so much warmth and dedication,” he wrote.
The recognition adds to Lali’s international festival run, which began in Berlin earlier this year and will continue in London next month.
Lali heads to London after Berlin premiere
In February, Lali became the first fully Pakistani-produced feature to premiere at the Berlinale. The Berlin festival listed the film in its Panorama programme.
Earlier this month, the film secured a place at the 70th BFI London Film Festival, the United Kingdom’s biggest film event. Its screening will take place on October 7.
Khoosat co-wrote Lali with Sundus Hashmi. The story follows Zeba, a young woman whom others label a “cursed bride” after three previous suitors die mysteriously.
Mamya Shajaffar plays Zeba, while the ensemble includes Rasti Farooq and Meher Bano. Musician Abdullah Siddiqui composed the film’s score.
The DC award comes between those two major festival appearances, adding a directing prize to the film’s international exposure.
A second directing honour at DCSAFF
Khoosat previously received DCSAFF’s Best Director award for Kamli, his 2022 feature. That film also earned him Best Director at the 22nd Lux Style Awards.
The latest result brings recognition from the same festival for two separate films, three years apart.
Before establishing himself in cinema, Khoosat built a substantial television career. His directing work on Humsafar helped the drama reach audiences in Pakistan and overseas.
His subsequent films have explored difficult social subjects, earning international recognition while sometimes facing obstacles at home.
Zindagi Tamasha’s awards and release struggle
In 2019, Zindagi Tamasha won the Kim Ji-seok Award at the Busan International Film Festival. Pakistan later selected it as its official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards.
The film also won the Snow Leopard Award for Best Film at the sixth Asian World Film Festival in 2021.
Despite those honours, controversy delayed its release in Pakistan. Khoosat eventually released the film on YouTube, allowing audiences to watch it outside the cinema circuit.
With Lali, his latest international recognition now comes ahead of another opportunity to introduce Pakistani storytelling to audiences in London.
