Published: : February 7, 2026, 08:27 AM
Bangladeshi cinema marked a major international achievement as Rezwan Shahriar Sumit’s Master won the Big Screen Competition Award at the 2025 International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), one of Europe’s most influential film festivals. The win stood out among a strong and diverse lineup of global titles showcased at the festival.
Master traces the moral and political transformation of a schoolteacher in Bangladesh who is drawn into local power structures, gradually moving from idealism to authoritarian impulses. Praising the film, the Big Screen Competition jury described it as “a universal story about a person striving to hold on to their moral compass, only to be reshaped by the persuasive and destructive forces of power and capitalism,” noting the film’s increasing complexity beneath its seemingly straightforward narrative.
The festival’s highest honor, the Tiger Award, went to Variations on a Theme, a South African drama by Jason Jacobs and Devon Delmar. The film follows an elderly goat herder who becomes entangled in a fraudulent scheme promising long-overdue reparations for her father’s unpaid wartime service. The Tiger Competition jury praised its poetic language and its reflection on colonial legacies, community, and familial bonds.
Alongside Master, two more Bangladeshi films were selected at this year’s IFFR, marking a significant moment for the country’s presence on the international festival circuit. Mejbaur Rahman Sumon’s Roid received its world premiere in the Tiger Competition, making it the first Bangladeshi feature film to compete in IFFR’s main competition. Meanwhile, Mohammad Tauqir Islam’s debut feature Delupi was selected for the Bright Future section, which highlights first and second films by emerging filmmakers.
Several other films were recognized across different sections. Ana Urushadze’s Supporting Role received a Special Jury Award in the Tiger Competition and also won the FIPRESCI Award. Angelica Ruffier’s La belle année, a hybrid documentary exploring memory, grief, and desire, was also awarded a Special Jury Prize.
The NETPAC Award, dedicated to films from Asia and the Pacific region, went to i grew an inch when my father died by P. R. Monencillo Patindol, with the jury praising its emotional depth and inventive visual language. The Seoul Guardians received a NETPAC Special Mention.
The Youth Jury Award was presented to Ah Girl by Ang Geck Geck Priscilla, a film about a young girl caught between her separated parents.
With Master’s major win and the selection of Roid and Delupi across key competitive sections, Bangladesh’s presence at Rotterdam this year signaled both growing international recognition and a widening creative range for its contemporary cinema.
