Usman Riaz's 'The Glassworker' competes for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards, bringing Pakistani animation to the global stage.

It is not every day that an animated film originates from Pakistan, and feature-length, 2D hand-drawn animation is almost unheard of in this part of South Asia. Usman Riaz, the creator, animator, and director of The Glassworker, says it takes devotion and effort to deliver this first-of-its-kind Pakistani animation to a worldwide audience.

The drama, told in Urdu, focuses on two childhood sweethearts, an apprentice glassblower learning from his father in their artisan glass business, and a brilliant musician who is fighting to discover her own voice. Set during wartime and in a setting roughly based on Pakistan, the novel follows both protagonists through their formative years as their fathers' opposition to the romance, as well as the mounting prospect of war which damages their connection.

Riaz's creativity was influenced by animation from an early age, but in Pakistan, music was considered a more acceptable form of artistic expression. The country's lack of infrastructure and support for 2D animation prompted Riaz to take matters into his own hands, despite the fact that achieving his ambition would take more than a decade.

The animation sector in Pakistan has enormous potential for development, but it will take careful investment and disciplined mentorship to realize it. With the help of global studios and streaming platforms, they may play a revolutionary role in realizing this promise for nurturing rising talent.