Director Bijon Imtiaz, who rose to prominence with his feature film ‘Matir Projar Desh’, has achieved international recognition once again with his short film ‘A Thing About Kashem’.
The 17-minute film recently won the Grand Prize in the ‘Alternative Spirit’ category at the Oscar-qualifying Rhode Island International Film Festival in the US — a prestigious step that filmmakers say brings it closer to Oscar submission.
A Thing About Kashem explores the experience of confronting an unknown entity hidden within people. The cast includes Intekhab Dinar in the lead role, alongside Moutushi Biswas, Hasnat Ripon, Kamruzzaman Tapu and Tanushree Karkun.
The screenplay was written by Nuhash Humayun, based on a story by Bijon Imtiaz. The film is produced by Arifur Rahman and Nuhash Humayun under a collaboration between Goopy Bagha, Long Story and Screenxcope Productions.
“Receiving an award at an Oscar-qualifying festival is important not only for our team but also for Bangladesh,” said the producers. “Being recognised among thousands of international films has boosted our confidence.”
The film has already been screened at Caustica in Spain, the 48th Asian American International Film Festival in New York and the Diversity Film Festival in Los Angeles, with more screenings ahead, including at Oscar-nominated festivals.
“Our director Bijon is truly exceptional; always ready to surprise us with new stories. We are grateful to everyone who made this journey possible and we look forward to more excitement ahead,” Goopy Bagha Productions said in a statement.