Pakistan’s first hand-drawn feature, has been selected for the Annecy Animation Festival in 2022.

The Glassworker, Pakistan’s first hand-drawn film, is one of eight feature films from around the world selected for the Work In Progress category at France’s Annecy International Animation Festival 2022.

“Representing Pakistan at Annecy 2022 is a true honor.” “It’s truly humbling to have our debut feature film, The Glassworker, on the same platform as so many wonderful and inspiring animated films that have come before us,” said director Usman Riaz.

He described it as a “great opportunity” that will allow the animation industry to expand. “It’s tremendously exciting to be the first hand-drawn feature film to come out of Pakistan and to have it recognized by our colleagues. I am obsessed with the art of animation and have committed my life to it. With Annecy Work in Progress, we have the great opportunity to share my passion for animation with the world’s best studios, artists, and animators.”

The Film Festival is well-known around the world, and it is always on the hunt for noteworthy animation. The Work in Progress list identifies and narrows down films that have the potential to win awards and make money in the future. Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse, Klaus, and How to Train Your Dragon 2 are among the high-profile films that have made the cut.

Usman’s feature film is an original story about young Vincent and his father Tomas, who own and operate the country’s finest glass workshop and find their lives upended by an impending war in which they have no desire to participate. An army colonel and his young, gifted violinist daughter, Alliz, arrive in their village, shaking their reality and putting their father-son bond to the test.

Annecy Work in Progress will be a 75-minute full showcase of Mano Animation Studios and The Glassworker for industry experts.

Manuel Cristóbal, a well-known Spanish producer, will be joining the team. “A new voice worth recovering,” says Usman.

Usman was inspired by Studio Ghibli, a Japanese animation film studio, and created Mano Animation Studios in Karachi with Khizer Riaz and Mariam Riaz Paracha. He adopted Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki’s hand-drawn animation taste for The Glassworker, which is adored around the world. “One of my proudest achievements was when Studio Ghibli purchased and distributed my film Wrinkles in Japan.”Wrinkles was Ghibli’s first and only Spanish film,” he revealed.

The Glassworker project brings together young and creative artists, with a median age of 27 and a female-dominated staff of 52 percent. It has been defined as a project full of surprises that promotes animation variety. Mano Animation has established a partnership network that spans Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.