Shakib, Bubly, Hridi Haq honored at New York Bangla Film Festival

NEW YORK: The inaugural four-day international "New York Bangla Film Festival" concluded in New York with vibrant celebrations. Held at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center, the festival showcased films by Bangladeshi and North American filmmakers, alongside honoring prominent individuals and organizations connected to the film industry.

Organized by Priojon Films and Lemon Studio, with the collaboration of the American Bangladeshi Producers Association, the festival's debut edition drew an enthusiastic response from expatriate Bangladeshis and local film enthusiasts.

The first three days of the festival featured screenings of short films, documentaries, and full-length feature films by Bangladeshi and North American creators. The concluding day featured a red carpet event, a cultural program, and an awards ceremony.

Popular film stars Zayed Khan, Kazi Maruf, Emon, and Sajol, actress Bindu, and singer Pratik Hasan attended the closing ceremony, delighting the audience with their presence.

The festival honored the best films, directors, actors, artists, and technicians from 2023 to 2025 across various categories.

Shakib Khan was named Best Actor for his performance in the film "Priyotoma", while Shabnom Bubly won the Best Actress award for "Deyaler Desh". Hridi Haq received the Best Director accolade for "1971 Shei Sob Din".

Additionally, Chanchal Chowdhury won Best Supporting Actor for "Toofan", and Sanjida Preeti received the Best Supporting Actress award for "1971 Shei Sob Din". "Kacher Manush Dure Thuiya" was selected as the Best Web Film, and Shihab Shaheen won Best Web Director for it.

In the web film category, Mamnun Emon won Best Actor for "Maya", and Afsan Ara Bindu won Best Actress for "Unish 20".

In the child artist category, Kazi Arisha ("Green Card") and Nairita Hasin Roudromoyee ("Jongli") received special recognitions.

In the music category, Balam ("Priyotoma") and Pritom Hasan ("Lage Ura Dhura" from "Toofan") won Best Singer (Male), while Abonti Sithi won Best Singer (Female) for the song "Ga Chhuye Bolo" from "Surongo".

Furthermore, Dr. Inamul Haque ("1971 Shei Sob Din") won Best Storywriter, Nazim Ud Doula and Raihan Rafi ("Surongo") won Best Screenplay, Suman Sarkar and Sahel Roni won Best Cinematography, Simit Roy Antor and Kamruzzaman Roni won Best Editing, and Ripon Nath ("Toofan") won Best Sound Design.

Asif Iqbal and Someswar Oli were recognized as Best Lyricists, Prince Mahmud as Best Composer, and Emon Saha as Best Music Director.

"Lost" was named Best Short Film, and "Ekti Desher Jonno Gaan" won the Best Documentary award.

Legendary actor Ahmed Sharif received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his extraordinary contributions to Bangladeshi cinema. Additionally, Bioscope Films, Star Cineplex, and the OTT platform Chorki were honored for their special contributions to the development of Bengali film.

The organizers stated that the festival's goal is not only to screen Bengali films but also to build a strong connection between the expatriate younger generation and Bengali cinema, while further strengthening its position on the international stage. Building on the success of this inaugural edition, they plan to organize the festival on an even larger scale next year.