Bangladeshi one-shot film Not a Fiction, directed by emerging filmmaker Shah Newaz Khan Cju, has clinched the Best Super Short Film Award at the prestigious Prague Film Festival 2025.
Following its successful journey through three Oscar and two Canadian Screen Awards-qualifying festivals, this critically acclaimed short stands as a powerful historical document, highlighting the countless extrajudicial killings across Bangladesh over the past two decades.
Czech capital — is ranked as Eastern Europe’s premier film festival by FilmFreeway. Among 3,266 submissions from 95 countries, only 72 films were officially selected, with Not a Fiction standing out as the sole representative from South Asia.
On the night of April 26, during the festival’s gala event, the awards were announced, with Not a Fiction winning the Best Super Short Film Award. This year’s jury included GUNNUR MARTINSDÓTTIR SCHLÜTER, winner of the Special Mention at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival (Palme d'Or Shorts Competition), and Polish filmmaker ELŻBIETA BENKOWSKA, whose film Olena was an Official Selection at Cannes in 2013.
The win also marked the film’s European premiere, making a significant statement on the global stage about Bangladesh’s ongoing human rights concerns.
Director Shah Newaz Khan Cju, who traveled to Prague to accept the award, shared his excitement in a press statement from Berlin, where he is currently based. “This is my first major international award, and honestly, I’m still in disbelief. It’s a matter of immense pride to bring this honor home from Kafka’s city,” he said.
He further added, "One of the jury members shared something that touched me deeply — Not a Fiction was competing head-to-head with another highly talked-about European film, which had a production budget of around 50,000 Euros. Despite that, they awarded our film — made with less than 100 Euros — purely based on the strength of its story and execution. Big-budget films are common, but a work like Not a Fiction comes only once in a while, and they wanted to honor that rarity.”
Cju also announced that Not a Fiction is set for an online release within the next month, giving audiences in Bangladesh and around the world the opportunity to experience the film firsthand.
Not a Fiction is co-produced by renowned film critic and journalist Sadia Khalid Reeti and Laily Begum. The story and screenplay are penned by Mokarram Rana. The cast includes Udoyon Rajib, Naimul Alam Mishu, Oishik Sami Ahmed, Rudroneel Ahmed, Jawad Saudho, and Mithun. Voice performances were provided by Ahsan Shoron and Syed Tamur Hasan.
The film’s executive production was led by Md. Asif, with sound design by Ripon Nath and Rony Sazzad, color grading by Rashaduzzaman Sohag, and editing by Leon Rozario and Tanvir Ahmed Rony. Assistant directors Md. Aman Khan and Al Amin Sumon also contributed significantly to the production.
With its latest accolade, Not a Fiction solidifies its place as one of Bangladesh’s most important short films in recent memory, blending artistic excellence with urgent social commentary
