Pakistan Submits Doc Thriller 'Hanging By A Wire' for Oscars

Pakistan's Academy Selection Committee has chosen Mohammed Ali "Mo" Naqvi's documentary thriller Hanging By A Wire as the country's official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards, Deadline reported.

The submission marks the first time Pakistan has entered a documentary feature into the Best International Feature Film category.

The Battagram Cable Car Incident

Written and produced by Naqvi and Bilal Sami, Hanging By A Wire chronicles the August 22, 2023 cable car accident in Battagram, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Eight passengers—six schoolchildren and two adults—were left stranded 900 feet above a valley floor after two of the cabin's three supporting lines snapped.

The rescue operation that followed eventually brought all eight individuals to safety, though accounts of the operation's total duration vary between 12, 14, 15, and nearly 24 hours.

Festival Path and Theatrical Run

Hanging By A Wire premiered on January 22, 2026, at the Sundance Film Festival in the World Cinema Documentary Competition. Abramorama handled North American theatrical distribution, while Dogwoof oversaw the theatrical release in the United Kingdom and Ireland beginning August 28, 2026.

"To me, this film is a statement about what Pakistani cinema can be," Naqvi said. "A story from our mountains, told by our own people, can be a full-blooded action thriller — it can open Sundance, play the world's biggest festivals, and be backed by a major Hollywood studio."

Karol Martesko-Fenster, CEO of Abramorama, called the production "exactly the kind of urgent, true-life storytelling we love to bring to audiences."

Documented running times for the film have varied across listings, with some sources recording 98 minutes and others listing 77 or 78 minutes.

Oscar Consideration

Naqvi publicly acknowledged the selection, thanking Deadline documentary editor Matt Carey for reporting on the announcement. Academy voters will determine whether the film advances to the preliminary shortlist or secures a final nomination. Worldwide streaming platforms and exact fourth-quarter home viewing release dates have not been confirmed.