ISLAMABAD: Pakistani documentary Moklani: The Last Mohanas has made history by winning the country’s first-ever award at the prestigious Jackson Wild Media Awards, according to a press release issued by production company Jawad Sharif Films.
The annual awards, held in Jackson, Wyoming, celebrate excellence in wildlife and environmental filmmaking.
Formed in 1991 as the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival, the Jackson Wild Media Awards recognise storytelling that highlights humanity’s collective responsibility to protect and restore the planet.
Winner in Global Voices category
Directed and produced by Islamabad-based filmmaker Jawad Sharif, Moklani: The Last Mohanas was selected from more than 500 entries and named the winner in the Global Voices Category at the Awards Gala held on 2 October.
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“Over 200 international judges screened more than 1,000 hours of media before selecting the film as winner,” the press release stated.
The film was produced with support from the National Geographic Society and Climate Kahani, a Pakistani climate storytelling initiative.
Story of vanishing community
Moklani follows the lives of the Mohanas of Manchar Lake — an indigenous fisherfolk community whose centuries-old floating lifestyle is rapidly disappearing.
The Mohanas, who have lived for generations in wooden boathouses, now face shrinking waters, toxic pollution, and the erosion of their cultural heritage.
Located 18 kilometres west of Sehwan Sharif in Sindh province, Manchar Lake is considered one of Pakistan’s largest freshwater lakes and home to a dwindling number of Mohana families.
“Moklani is both a visually striking and deeply human portrait of a community on the brink of cultural extinction,” the press release noted. “Their struggle reflects the larger climate crisis Pakistan is experiencing.”
Recognition for climate storytelling
Speaking about the recognition, director Jawad Sharif said the award was a tribute to the resilience of the Mohana people.
“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.”
Sharif, an award-winning filmmaker known for exploring themes of culture, identity, and environmental sustainability, said the film aimed to give a voice to a community “the world is in danger of forgetting.”
The Jackson Wild recognition places Moklani: The Last Mohanas among the top international environmental films of the year, highlighting Pakistan’s emerging voice in global climate storytelling.
