Pakistan selects ‘Hanging by a Wire’ for Academy Awards

Pakistan has selected the documentary thriller ‘Hanging by a Wire’ as its official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards. This marks the first time a documentary has been chosen to represent the country in this category.

Directed by Mohammed Ali Naqvi and produced in collaboration with Bilal Sami, the film depicts the August 2023 cable car emergency in Battagram, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. During the incident, eight passengers, including six schoolchildren, were stranded hundreds of feet above a ravine following a catastrophic cable failure. The documentary utilizes eyewitness footage, archival recordings, survivor testimonies, and cinematic recreations to recount the rescue operation.

The film previously premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and has screened at the Tribeca and Sydney film festivals. It is scheduled to debut on streaming via Paramount+ on October 28.