First-ever international win for Pakistan at global wildlife filmmaking event
Pakistan has achieved a milestone in global environmental cinema as “Moklani: The Last Mohanas” became the country’s first-ever winner at the Jackson Wild Media Awards — one of the world’s most prestigious recognitions in wildlife and nature storytelling.
The announcement was made at the Awards Gala in Jackson, Wyoming, on October 2, according to a press release issued by Jawad Sharif Films, the Islamabad-based production house behind the documentary.
Chosen from over 500 entries
Directed and produced by award-winning filmmaker Jawad Sharif, Moklani: The Last Mohanas was selected from a pool of more than 500 global submissions and declared the winner in the “Global Voices” category. “Over 200 international judges screened more than 1,000 hours of media before selecting the film,” the press release stated.
The Jackson Wild Media Awards, originally founded in 1991 as the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival, celebrate storytelling that highlights the planet’s ecological and cultural challenges.
A disappearing way of life on Manchar Lake
The film captures the vanishing world of the Mohana community — indigenous fisherfolk who have lived for centuries on Manchar Lake, one of Pakistan’s largest freshwater lakes, located 18 kilometres west of Sehwan Sharif along the Indus Highway. “The Mohanas face shrinking waters, toxic pollution, and the erosion of their unique cultural heritage,” the statement noted.
The film serves as a visually powerful and deeply human portrait of a people whose centuries-old traditions are being erased by climate change and environmental neglect.
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Supported by National Geographic and Climate Kahani
The project was produced with support from the National Geographic Society and Climate Kahani, organisations known for promoting environmental awareness and sustainability storytelling. “Moklani is both a visually striking and deeply human portrait of a community on the brink of cultural extinction,” the press release said. “Their struggle mirrors the larger climate crisis Pakistan is experiencing.”
A voice for forgotten communities
Director Jawad Sharif described the recognition as a tribute to the Mohana people themselves. “Their story reflects the urgent realities of climate change, cultural loss, and the need to preserve both humanity and nature,” he said. “To see their story recognised on a global stage is deeply humbling. This recognition, above all, belongs to the Mohana community.”
A legacy of cultural storytelling
Jawad Sharif Films, based in Islamabad, has previously produced internationally acclaimed documentaries such as:
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K2 and the Invisible Footmen (2015)
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Indus Blues (2018)
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Natari (2021)
The production house is widely recognised for films exploring culture, social justice, and environmental change.