Moklani is the first-ever Pakistani finalist at the Jackson Wild Media Awards 2025
Moklani – The Last Mohanas, directed and produced by Jawad Sharif, has been selected as a finalist in the Global Voices category at the 2025 Jackson Wild Media Awards, widely regarded as the Nature Oscars®. This year’s competition received over 500 submissions from around the world.
This is the first time a Pakistani film has been recognized at Jackson Wild, one of the most prestigious global platforms for environmental and natural history storytelling.
Moklani: Finalist in Global Voices
Produced with the support of the National Geographic Society and Climate Kahani, Moklani tells the visually striking and deeply human story of the Mohana fisherfolk of Manchar Lake, an indigenous community facing cultural extinction. Once celebrated as the “Lords of the Lake,” the Mohanas are now confronting the disappearance of both their ancestral waters and centuries-old traditions.
Their story reflects the wider environmental crisis Pakistan faces, from recurring cloudbursts to devastating lake and glacier outburst floods (GLOFs) driven by climate change. By bringing the struggles of the Mohana to a global stage, the film preserves their voices while highlighting how local communities in Pakistan are on the frontlines of a planetary crisis.
“Moklani gives voice to a community the world is in danger of forgetting. Their story reflects the urgent realities of climate change, cultural loss, and the need to preserve both humanity and nature.” Jawad Sharif
The Jackson Wild Media Awards will take place in October 2025, bringing together leading environmental storytellers, conservationists, and filmmakers from across the globe.
