Bangladeshi filmmaker Rubaiyat Hossain’s latest feature, The Difficult Bride, has been selected for the Official Competition at the 70th edition of the BFI London Film Festival. The film is one of 10 titles from 10 different countries set to compete for the prestigious Best Film award.
A co-production between France, Bangladesh, Portugal, Norway, and Germany, The Difficult Bride is described as a “gripping feminist body horror.”
The narrative follows Zaineen, a bride-to-be who initially feels excitement for her upcoming wedding but soon begins to bristle under social restrictions and mandatory beauty rituals designed to make her “thinner, fairer, sleeker and more bride-like.”
As resistance takes root in her body, she encounters strange physical changes, supernatural forces, and omens.
The festival, which runs from 7 October to 18 October, features a diverse lineup representing the UK, Ireland, Brazil, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, and Poland.
Festival director Kristy Matheson stated that the 2026 selection brings an “astounding array of filmmaking styles to the screen” and expressed excitement about sharing the works of both alumni and first-time festival filmmakers with audiences.
In the official competition, Hossain’s work will compete alongside films from acclaimed directors such as Hirokazu Kore-eda, Sergei Loznitsa, and Carol Morley. The full list of competing titles includes:
- 7 Miles Out (UK) – Directed by Carol Morley
- Act 3 (Ireland-UK) – Directed by Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor
- Glaxo (Brazil-Argentina) – Directed by Benjamín Naishtat
- Imperium (Germany-France-Italy-Lithuania) – Directed by Sergei Loznitsa
- Ketticè (Italy) – Directed by Giovanni Tortorici
- Look Back (Japan) – Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda
- My Notes on Mars (Hungary-Austria) – Directed by Lili Horvát
- The Idiot(s) (UK-Poland) – Directed by Małgorzata Szumowska and Michał Englert
- Woman Unknown (Denmark-Latvia-Sweden) – Directed by May el-Toukhy
The winner of the Best Film award will be chosen by the LFF awards jury. The selection also features notable cast members across the competition, including Aimee Lou Wood, Monica Bellucci, Mackenzie Davis, Rupert Friend, and Johnny Flynn.
