Mehazabien Chowdhury nominated for Best Actress at Raindance Film Festival

Bangladeshi actress Mehazabien Chowdhury’s film 'Saba' began its international journey at the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada. Since then, the film has been featured at several international festivals including Busan, Red Sea, Gothenburg, Osaka, and Dallas. However, this year’s Raindance International Film Festival holds special significance for Mehazabien—not only is she participating, but she has also been nominated in the Best Actress category.

Speaking about her nomination at the 33rd edition of the UK-based festival, Mehazabien said, “Personally, this is a moment of great joy for me. To be nominated alongside so many talented international actresses is truly an honor. As an actress, this is a major milestone in my career.”

She added, “I want to work in challenging roles and will always strive to offer even better performances.”

Hopeful about the local film industry, Mehazabien believes now is the time for a cinematic awakening in Bangladesh. In her words, “Stories from Bangladesh are becoming relevant on the global stage. Our participation at the Cannes Film Festival is a strong indication of this potential. If our artists work together, we can conquer the world.”

'Saba' will be screened in the Narrative Feature category. The film is directed by Maksud Hossain, marking his debut as a filmmaker. He has also received a nomination for Best Director, and the film has been selected for the Discovery Award category as well.

Expressing her gratitude to the director, Mehazabien said, “I’m thankful for the way he allowed me to portray this character.”

It is worth mentioning that although *Saba* has been praised at various international festivals, it has not yet been released in theaters in Bangladesh.