Emmy Winner Habiba Nosheen Flexes With ‘The Gymnasts Of Fishermen Colony,’ Inspiring Film From EPs Mariska Hargitay, Trish Adlesic, Malala Yousafzai

EXCLUSIVE: Cargo Film & Releasing has set an October 23 theatrical opening for The Gymnasts of Fishermen Colony, Habiba Nosheen’s documentary about girls in Pakistan who defy their conservative community by pursuing competitive gymnastics.

The film from executive producers Mariska Hargitay, Trish Adlesic, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai will debut at DCTV’s Firehouse Cinema in New York City before expanding to more than 20 cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Houston, Cleveland, Santa Fe, Toronto. Canadian Distributor Blue Ice Docs will open the film in Toronto.

Watch the exclusive trailer below.

“The Gymnasts of Fishermen Colony is an intimate coming-of-age story of three inspiring teenage girls in Pakistan whose discovery of gymnastics opens an unexpected new world of friendship, competition and possibility,” notes a release. “As Kiran, Anwara and Sonia train toward their dream of competing at Pakistan’s national championships, their growing passion begins to collide with expectations about what girls can and cannot do. Moving between the exhilaration of the gym and the pressures of everyday life, the film captures three teenagers beginning to imagine their futures on their own terms.”

In a statement, Nosheen said, “This film has always been about allowing audiences to experience the world through the girls’ eyes. We watch Kiran, Anwara and Sonia discover something they love, become fiercely ambitious about it and begin making space for themselves through gymnastics. The result is a deeply human portrait of girlhood from a part of Pakistan we rarely get to see this way on screen. I am thrilled that audiences across North America will now have the opportunity to meet these girls on the big screen.”

Yousafzai, a native of Northwest Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, commented, “I could not be prouder to support this beautiful film and the incredible young athletes at the heart of it. The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony perfectly illustrates the power of sports to change how girls see themselves and how the world sees young women.”

Hargitay and Adlesic are coming off their recent Primetime Emmy wins for My Mom Jayne, the documentary Hargitay directed and Hargitay and Adlesic produced. The Law & Order: SVU star is president and founder of production company Mighty Entertainment.

“When we first learned about these young girls and their lives from director Habiba Nosheen, my producing partner, Trish Adlesic, and I knew we wanted to help ensure that their story would reach audiences around the world,” Hargitay said. “This film is a perfect example of the kind of stories we want to champion and support at Mighty. We are honored to partner with Habiba and inspired by her talent as a filmmaker.”

The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony is an Akelo Media Production produced with the participation of Canada Media Fund and Telefilm Canada, in association with CBC, Chicken and Egg Films and Mighty Entertainment. The film is directed by Habiba Nosheen and produced by Amar Lohana and Nosheen. Executive producers include Malala Yousafzai, Mariska Hargitay, Trish Adlesic, Shizuka Asakawa, Lauran Bromley, Michelle McCree, Ashley McDermott, Robin Smith, Shelley Saywell, Elaisha Stokes, Anna Maria Tremonti, and Jenni Wolfson. Co-executive producers are Ricardo Acosta and Bina Shukla.

Lawence Jackman edited the film; cinematography is by Tess Girard, Nadir Siddiqui, and Muhammad Asif Faraz. Kalaisan Kalaichelvan composed the original score.

The Gymnasts of Fishermen Colony held its world premiere in Documentary Competition at the 2026 Tribeca Festival, finishing among the top three documentaries for the festival’s Audience Award. It has also screened at DMZ International Documentary Film Festival in South Korea, the Calgary International Film Festival in Alberta, and Chicago South Asian Film Festival, among others. It screens this weekend at the Zurich Film Festival.

“I am so proud that the film offers a unique portrait of Pakistani girlhood rarely seen on screen, along with a universal story about friendship, ambition and the freedom to play,” said director-producer Nosheen. “It is lyrical, playful and deeply intimate. I am forever grateful to these girls for allowing us to be in their lives and tell their stories.”