EXCLUSIVE: Global production and sales company EST N8 has secured worldwide rights, excluding Bangladesh, to Rezwan Shahriar Sumit’s political drama Master, which won the Big Screen Award at this year’s International Film Festival Rotterdam.

Sumit’s sophomore film, Master is the first film from Bangladesh to win a top award at a major European film festival, signaling the arrival of a “New Wave” of Bangladeshi filmmakers with the potential to achieve critical and commercial acclaim in global markets. 

Inspired by real events, the film revolves around Jahir, a popular high school history teacher, who launches a bold, liberal campaign for district chairman, championing education and women’s rights. However, as he ascends through local political networks, his moral foundations begin to crumble. Nasir Uddin Khan plays the teacher who discovers how easily power corrupts. 

IFFR’s Big Screen jury hailed the drama for its unflinching portrayal of how the machinery of power reshapes the human spirit. 

Sumit also won acclaim for his debut feature, The Salt In Our Waters (2021), which swept the Bangladesh National Film Awards, winning Best Film and Director.

The deal for world rights for Master was brokered by Sophie Shi, EST N8’s Head of Studios, and Cathy Ni, Head of Sales and U.S. Distribution, who will introduce the film to buyers in Cannes. 

“Master is a defining piece of Asian cinema that bridges the gap between high-concept thriller and grounded social commentary,” said Shi. “Sumit has captured a global zeitgeist through a uniquely Bangladeshi lens. We are eager to leverage this momentum as we head into the Cannes market with our mission to elevate sophisticated Asian stories onto the international stage.” 

Sumit added: “It is incredibly humbling to see how a film rooted in the local politics of Bangladesh is resonating so powerfully on the global stage. It proves that whether in a forested hinterland or a global metropole, the struggle for integrity and the human cost of power is a universal story.” 

Master is produced by Dhaka-based mypixelstory, a boutique studio with films that have screened across BFI London, Busan, NYFF, AFI Fest, Göteborg and São Paulo film festivals. 

UK-based Kwanon Films, the production house behind Chaplin: Spirit Of The Tramp, boarded Master as executive producer ahead of its IFFR premiere.

In a joint statement, Kwanon Films’ Ashim Bhalla and Carmen Chaplin said: “The historic victory at IFFR validates what we saw in Rezwan Shahriar Sumit – a bold voice with a universal story. EST N8’s deep-rooted expertise makes them the ideal partner to translate this success into the international distribution it deserves.” 

EST N8 Cannes slate also include Indonesian hit horror films Danur: The Last Chapter, directed by Awi Suryadi, and Janur Ireng from Kimo Stamboel; Tetsuya Mariko’s Dear Stranger, starring Hidetoshi Nishijima (Drive My Car) and Gwei Lun-Mei (Black Coal, Thin Ice); Raindance-selected The Invisible Half, and Julie Pacino’s I Live Here Now.