The Glassworker, Pakistan’s first-ever 2D hand-drawn animated feature film, is officially heading to theaters across North America.

 

Distributed by Watermelon Pictures, the film is also Pakistan’s official submission for the 97th Academy Awards, competing in both the Best International Feature and Best Animated Feature categories.

 

The announcement was made by Watermelon Pictures on social media. “From the award-winning team at Mano Animation Studios, comes a sweeping tale of art, war, and forbidden love,” the distributor shared, introducing audiences to Alliz, a gifted violinist at the heart of the story.

 

The film is the directorial debut of Usman Riaz, who also leads the Karachi-based Mano Animation Studios alongside co-founder Mariam Paracha and CEO Khizer Riaz. Inspired by the storytelling style and animation techniques of Studio Ghibli, The Glassworker is a hand-drawn coming-of-age story that explores love, loss, and the effects of war through the eyes of young artists.

 

The Glassworker made its worldwide premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in 2024, after being showcased as a work-in-progress at the same event in 2022. It was later released theatrically in Pakistan to critical acclaim.

 

Set in a fictional war-torn country, the film follows young Vincent and his father Tomas, who run the finest glass workshop in the land. Their peaceful life is disrupted by the arrival of a military colonel and his daughter, Alliz, a talented violinist. As tensions rise, personal relationships are tested against the backdrop of an approaching war.

 

The English-language voice cast features a mix of British and South Asian talent, including Art Malik, Sacha Dhawan, Anjli Mohindra, Tony Jayawardena, Teresa Gallagher, Maya Soraya, Sham Ali, and Mina Anwar.

 

The North American release is being handled by Watermelon Pictures, which acquired the distribution rights during the Cannes Film Market in a deal between Hamza Ali and Charades' Hélène Espeisse.