TBT REPORT

Bangladesh’s acclaimed one-shot film “Not a Fiction” has won the Best Super Short Film award at this year’s Prague Film Festival, marking another major international milestone.

Directed by Shah Newaz Khan Cju, “Not a Fiction” is a powerful cinematic document that boldly addresses the extrajudicial killings that have plagued Bangladesh’s landscape over the past two decades. Before it’s Prague success, the film had already toured three Oscar-qualifying and two Canadian Screen Award-qualifying festivals.

Held from April 23 to 26 at the Kino Pilotů Theatre in Prague, this prestigious festival is ranked the top festival in Eastern Europe on FilmFreeway. Out of 3,266 submissions from 95 countries, only 72 films were selected for official competition — with “Not a Fiction” proudly standing as the sole representative from Bangladesh and South Asia.

The winners were announced during the gala night on April 26 at 9 pm local time, where “Not a Fiction” was crowned Best Super Short Film. The festival jury included Icelandic filmmaker and actress Guðrún Ragnarsdóttir Slaughter — whose short film earned a Special Mention at Cannes 2023 — and Polish director Elżbieta Benkowska, known for her film “Olena,” an official Cannes selection in 2013.

The award also marked the European premiere of “Not a Fiction”.

Director Shah Newaz Khan Cju, currently based in Berlin, traveled to Prague to receive the award. In a statement, he said, “This is my first award, and it still feels surreal. To be able to bring pride to my country in Kafka’s city is something I’ll cherish forever. One of the judges shared something that meant a lot to me — they said another highly talked-about European film, made with a budget of nearly 50,000 euros, was a strong competitor. Yet, our film, made with less than 100 euros, won because of the strength of its story and execution. That’s what mattered most to them.”

Cju added that “Not a Fiction” will be released online within the next month.