Master

Directed by Rezwan Shahriar Sumit
Bangladesh
2026
126 mins
Unclassified 15+
A smalltown elected official in Bangladesh weighs his values against power and fame in this compelling, political drama. Award winner, International Film Festival Rotterdam 2026.

Jahir (Nasir Uddin Khan) is a noble family man, history teacher and populist candidate of a mayoral election race in the forest village of Mohoganj, Bangladesh. With rousing speeches and rallying cries, advocating for progressive ideals like women's rights and improved education, Jahir is elected. But a proposal for a luxury hotel that will uproot the local slums, sees Jahir's undoing, as he enters a dangerous political game between the people who elected him and his influencers in office. Rezwan Shahriar Sumit's assured sophomore is carefully framed, with bright colour palettes to contrast its sinister undercurrents, steered by brilliant performances from Khan and Azmeri Haque Badhon (Rehana Maryam Noor, SFF 2021).

It’s an eye-opening look at institutional structures in a country that rarely gets much screen time internationally, and a timeworn tale designed to rouse rage against the machine in local and global audiences alike.
Guy Lodge, Variety

Special Guests

Rezwan Shahriar Sumit
Director

Rezwan Shahriar Sumit, an NYU Tisch School of the Arts alumnus, is a Bangladeshi filmmaker specializing in the intersection of entertainment and social impact. 

His debut feature film, THE SALT IN OUR WATERS, world premiered at the BFI London Film Festival. This film brought the struggles of Bangladesh’s climate change frontliners to the global stage at UN COP26 and COY16. It garnered significant backing from industry figures like Spike Lee and organizations such as CNC Aide aux cinémas du monde, Torino Film Lab, ultimately sweeping seven National Film Awards. Building on this success, Sumit is currently completing TIDE IS RISING, a feature documentary set within the same coastal wetlands.

Tickets

Thu 4 June 2026, 8:45pm
Event George St - Cinema 3
1 Guest
Assisted ListeningWheelchair
Mon 8 June 2026, 1:45pm
Dendy Newtown - Cinema 2
1 Guest
Assisted ListeningWheelchair
  • Program Strand
  • Original Title
    মাস্টার
  • Year
    2026
  • Classification
    Unclassified 15+
  • Country
    Bangladesh
  • Language
    In Bengali with English subtitles
  • Director
    Rezwan Shahriar Sumit
  • Producer
    Rezwan Shahriar Sumit
  • Cast
    Nasir Uddin Khan, Azmeri Haque Badhon, Zakia Bari Mamo
  • Screenwriter
    Rezwan Shahriar Sumit, Sabbir Hossain Shovon
  • Cinematographer
    Tuhin Tamijul
  • Editor
    Kristan Sprague
  • Composer
    Hao-Ting Shih
  • Genre
  • Premiere
    Australian Premiere
  • Company Credits
    Festival Contact: Pascale Ramonda
  • Official Website
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