Pakistani director Saim Sadiq's new film ‘Little Men’ wins Baumi Script Award

Pakistani filmmaker Saim Sadiq has been awarded the prestigious Baumi Script Development Award for his upcoming project Little Men, receiving a €20,000 prize to support the film’s development, organizers announced over the weekend.

Established in 2016 in memory of renowned film producer Karl “Baumi” Baumgartner, the annual award recognizes outstanding international screenwriting and supports the development of unique cinematic voices.

Sadiq, best known for his critically acclaimed debut feature Joyland, was selected for his new script Little Men, which explores themes of love, identity, and displacement. The film follows Nael, a Pakistani-American man in New York City who agrees to a marriage of convenience with his former lover from Pakistan in an attempt to help her flee a crisis-ridden homeland. The arrangement forces Nael to confront his divided loyalties and dual sense of belonging across two countries—and two relationships.

“To mark 10 years of the Baumi Script Development Award, the €20,000 prize goes to filmmaker Saim Sadiq from Pakistan for his treatment ‘Little Men,’” the award committee announced in a Facebook post.

In a statement shared on Instagram, Sadiq expressed gratitude to Pandora Film Verleih and Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, the award’s sponsors, for their support and for bringing him back to the Cannes Film Festival. He also thanked jury president Edward Berger for his encouragement and kindness.

Sadiq gained international acclaim with Joyland, which won the Jury Prize in the ‘Un Certain Regard’ section at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. He holds a degree in anthropology from Lahore University of Management Sciences and an MFA from Columbia University in New York.