Rezwan Shahriar Sumit

Rezwan Shahriar Sumit is a Bangladeshi filmmaker, screenwriter, and film producer. He gained prominence with his debut feature film, Nonajoler Kabbo, which won seven Bangladesh National Film Awards, including Best Film and Best Director. In 2026, his sophomore feature, the political drama Master, won the VPRO Big Screen Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR).

Early life and education Sumit was born and raised in Dhaka, Bangladesh. His interest in filmmaking led to his early short film City Life, which earned him selection for the Berlinale Talents program at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2008.

He later moved to the United States to study film production at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts as a Tisch Fellow, where he earned his Master of Fine Arts degree. During his time at NYU, he received a Spike Lee Production Grant and produced Barbara Cigarroa's thesis short film Dios Nunca Muere, which screened at the New York Film Festival and AFI Fest.

Career Sumit made his feature directorial debut with Nonajoler Kabbo (internationally titled The Salt in Our Waters), a drama exploring climate change and coastal community traditions in Patuakhali, Bangladesh. The film held its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival in October 2020. It subsequently competed at the Göteborg Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival, and Kolkata International Film Festival, where it won the NETPAC Award for Best Asian Film. At the 46th Bangladesh National Film Awards, the film swept seven categories, including Best Director and Best Film for Sumit.

His second feature film, Master, a rural political thriller starring Nasir Uddin Khan and Azmeri Haque Badhon, premiered at the 55th International Film Festival Rotterdam in February 2026. The film won the festival's VPRO Big Screen Award by unanimous jury decision. It went on to screen at international festivals including the Sydney Film Festival and Melbourne International Film Festival.

Filmography

Feature films Year Title Native title Role(s) Notes 2020 Nonajoler Kabbo নোনাজেলের কাব্য Director, writer, producer Feature debut 2026 Master মাস্টার Director, co-writer, producer Won VPRO Big Screen Award at IFFR

Short films City Life (2008) Moon Fairy (2009) Raising Flames (2014) Remnants of Men (2016)

Accolades Year Award / Festival Category Work Result 2021 Kolkata International Film Festival NETPAC Award (Best Asian Select) Nonajoler Kabbo 2021 Göteborg Film Festival Ingmar Bergman International Debut Award Nonajoler Kabbo 2023 46th Bangladesh National Film Awards Best Director Nonajoler Kabbo Best Film 2026 International Film Festival Rotterdam VPRO Big Screen Award Master