Golam Rabbani’s short film ‘Nishi’ has brought Bangladesh its first-ever recognition at the prestigious Environmental Media Association (EMA) Awards.
The film won in the Student Film category at the 35th edition of the awards, held on October 11 at the Redford Studio Center in Los Angeles.
Produced by the International Academy of Film and Media, ‘Nishi’ was previously shortlisted among the top three student films in the world, marking a significant milestone for the Bangladeshi film industry.
Written and directed by Golam Rabbani, with Zahirul Islam as co-director, the film explores the intersection of poverty, gender and environmental hardship through the story of a young girl from a tea garden community whose education is disrupted due to a severe water crisis.
In a desperate bid to secure access to water, a local timber trader proposes to marry the underage girl in exchange for installing a tubewell at her home.
Speaking about the achievement, Rabbani said, “This is a moment of immense pride. ‘Nishi’ winning at the EMA Awards is not just a personal honor but a historic achievement for Bangladeshi cinema. I’ve always tried to tell stories rooted in life and nature and this recognition inspires me to keep going.”
The film was produced in collaboration with the European Union Bangladesh, Green Film School Alliance and UNESCO Dhaka.
Nishi stars Nishi, Bishwajit, Ganesh and Bharati, and was filmed across tea garden locations in Sylhet. The post-production, including editing, color grading and sound design, was completed at the renowned Lodz Film School in Poland, a first for any Bangladeshi film. Natalia Pusnik, an alumna of the institution, was also part of the project.
Following its international success, ‘Nishi’ is now being submitted to various film festivals worldwide, with plans for a domestic screening in Bangladesh soon.
Rabbani’s earlier works ‘Surot’ and ‘Untongue’ received honorable mentions at the Venice Interculture Film Festival, Budapest Film Festival and Dhaka International Film Festival.
