IN PERSON ACCESSIBILITY
This film is presented with open captions (all dialogue subtitled and sound cues indicated).
ASL interpretation will be provided for this session. Please click here to read about how we provide access.
Canada, Pakistan202692 minUrdu, English, Bengali with English Subtitles Documentary, Family-friendly, Live ASL Interpretation
Nestled in the lively, bustling neighbourhood of Karachi’s Machar Colony (also known as Fisherman Colony) is a school for girls, where they learn to read, write, and — on their own insistence — learn gymnastics. Born into an undocumented community and systemically barred from formal work and basic human rights, these spirited young athletes carve out their own spaces for joy and freedom in every awe-inspiring flip, twist, and tumble.
Embedding herself in their world, three-time Emmy Award-winning director Habiba Nosheen’s empathetic lens captures the triumphs, setbacks, and heartwarming sisterhood of these athletes as they train for the National Women’s Gymnastics Championship. Given the rare agency to articulate their lives, the girls share dreams and aspirations that often clash with their seemingly predestined realities. An emotionally captivating portrait of coming of age, friendship, and the power of letting young girls dream, The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony will have you cheering for every poised handstand and thrilling leap these girls accomplish.
– Mariam Zaidi
Sonia Ul Islam
Anwara Ul Islam
Kiran Jafer
Tahera Hasan
Mohammed Furqan
OFFICIAL SELECTION
Tribeca Film Festival, 2026
Habiba Nosheen*
Habiba Nosheen is a three-time Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and journalist. She directed The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony, which premiered at Tribeca.
*In attendance
15 Nov, 2026 4:15 pm
TIFF Lightbox C2GA
IN PERSON ACCESSIBILITY
This film is presented with open captions (all dialogue subtitled and sound cues indicated).
ASL interpretation will be provided for this session. Please click here to read about how we provide access.
Join us for a Q&A immediately after the screening with director Habiba Nosheen and producer Amar Lohana, moderated by Reel Asian programmer Mariam Zaidi.
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15 Nov. 7:00 pm
Under suspicious circumstances, you wonder if the entities around you are withholding your full autonomy. Do you fight back?
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An intimate and joyful documentary profiling the emerging ballroom scene across Southeast Asia, 10s Across the Borders captures what it means to come from a long lineage of LGBTQ+ trailblazers, and how to carry the torch onto untested grounds.
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Founded in Toronto in 1997, Reel Asian is Canada’s largest pan-Asian film festival and a year-round cultural organization dedicated to championing Asian, Asian diasporic, and Asian Canadian artists and storytellers. What began as a grassroots film festival has grown into a national platform supporting filmmakers and audiences through screenings, education, industry initiatives, artist development, and community programming presented across Toronto, the GTA, and online across Canada.
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info@reelasian.com
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