The Studio Ghibli-inspired film is Pakistan’s official submission for the 2025 Oscar nominations

By Shumaila Mubarak

This year’s Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival marked the official release of Pakistan’s first hand-drawn animated film, The Glassworker, in Canada. For many, the film was an illustration of a wholesome cinematic experience and a love letter to overlooked Pakistani creative talent. 

Directed by Usman Riaz and produced by Mano Animation Studios, The Glassworker tells a tale of love, war and art, brought to life by creative animation and a heartwarming story. 

The story follows Vincent, a young glassworker, and Alliz, a violinist. It takes place in a war-torn city where Vincent and Alliz navigate their battle for life and love for each other. 

The film is a hand-drawn masterpiece with well-developed characters that bring depth to the storyline. It’s a captivating blend of a fictional narrative inspired by emotions and experiences of the real world.

At its Canadian premiere in Toronto, CanCulture Magazine spoke with some of the audience members to hear their thoughts on the film.

“I think the story was amazingly done. The art style was beautiful. I think it was very immersive and very relatable. It was just very entertaining,” said Sadi Mufti, an audience member at the film’s Reel Asian premiere.

While the film itself was emotionally compelling, its true triumph lies in its tribute to Pakistan’s unrecognized creative talent. 

Since its official release in July of this year in Pakistan, The Glassworker has received international recognition. 

Some audience members at the festival say the film sparked a new appreciation for Pakistani animation teams and the nation’s creative industries. 

“I loved it. The film is a huge milestone for our animation industry in Pakistan. It is also creating ripples through international media,” said Mufti.

“The audience that came to see [the film] not only saw the story but also saw the capabilities of our animation and strengths in Pakistan,” he added. 

The Glassworker was a passion project. It took Usman Riaz 10 years to finish the project, and while the wait was long, those years were filled with his passion and love for animation. 

“Since I was a child, I have loved hand-drawn animation and there’s something so magical about it,” Riaz said in an interview with BBC News.

“The beauty of the lines drawn and painted by the human hand always resonated with me.”

While the film paid homage to overlooked Pakistani creative talent, for many, it also spotlighted gaps in resources for sustaining that talent. 

Sana Akram, a Pakistani cinema and media studies PhD student at York University, said there are insufficient assets to uphold creativity in Pakistan.

“We have a lot of talent, but we don’t have a lot of resources. The institutions and structures need to support [the talent],” Akram said. 

“We don’t have that sort of scaffolding to support the odds and to support the creative industry.”

Like herself, she says a lot of Pakistan’s ignored talent ends up in other countries because of this. 

She said Pakistan’s resources need to be strengthened to support creative projects. 

“It will take some time, but I think it’s worth investing every bit.” 

Still, Akram feels that the international reception of The Glassworker has given insight into the potential for the acknowledgment of Pakistani craft.

“It’s great to see Pakistani talent being recognized on global platforms. I hope it continues this way.”

The Glassworker is a groundbreaking accomplishment that has redefined the possibility of global recognition of Pakistani art. 

With its submission for the 2025 Oscars, the film gives hope to the countless unrecognized creative minds worldwide. Its recognition is a reminder of the value of Pakistani artistry and a call to nurture young talent across the globe — a love letter to overlooked creativity. 

‘The Glassworker’ has a total runtime of 92 minutes. While the official streaming date has yet to be confirmed, the film is being screened at various festivals globally and in Pakistan. For updates on its screening availability, check out the official Mano Animation website.