Young Bangladeshi filmmaker Maksud Hossain has made the country proud with his debut feature film Saba. The film, which started its international journey at the Toronto International Film Festival, has already been screened at several renowned festivals including the Busan International Film Festival, Red Sea International Film Festival, Gothenburg Film Festival, as well as in Osaka and Dallas.
Now, Saba is heading to the 33rd Raindance Film Festival in the United Kingdom. This is a significant achievement for Maksud Hossain as the film has been nominated for the prestigious Discovery Award, which is specially dedicated to new and promising directors. Alongside this, Saba will be screened under the Narrative Feature category at the festival.
Popular actress Mehazabien Chowdhury played the lead role in Saba and has also been nominated for the Best Actress Award at Raindance. She shared her excitement, saying this is a hopeful step for Bangladeshi cinema and a good time for new talents to shine on the global stage. “Stories from Bangladesh are powerful and relevant worldwide. This is just the beginning,” Mehazabien said.
She expressed gratitude to director Maksud Hossain for his clear direction and creative leadership. Maksud Hossain’s nomination marks a proud moment for the country’s film industry, showing that new directors from Bangladesh have the talent to compete on international platforms.
Although Saba has been screened at several major international festivals, it has not yet been released in theatres in Bangladesh. Local audiences are eagerly waiting for its release. Both Maksud Hossain and Mehazabien Chowdhury have expressed hope that Bangladeshi cinema will continue to grow and shine in international arenas in the coming days.
