Bangladeshi filmmaker Ishtiaq Ahmed Jihad’s debut feature film The Blind Girl and an Elephant (Bengali title: সাঁকোটা দুলছে) has been selected for two competition categories at the 34th EnergaCAMERIMAGE International Film Festival, scheduled to take place in Toruń, Poland, from 7 to 14 November 2026.

The film will compete in both the Directors’ Debuts Competition and the Cinematographers’ Debuts Competition. Its director, Ishtiyak Ahmad Zihad, and cinematographer Samiul Karim Shuptak have been nominated for the festival’s Golden Frog awards in their respective categories.

EnergaCAMERIMAGE is an internationally recognised film festival that places particular emphasis on cinematography, visual storytelling and the artistic vision behind filmmaking.

Dual recognition for directing and cinematography

The selection marks a significant achievement for the independent Bangladeshi production, which has earned places in two separate competitions recognising debut work in directing and cinematography.

For Zihad, the nomination marks an important milestone in the international journey of his first feature film. For Shuptak, it recognises his contribution to shaping the film’s visual language.

Shot in black and white, The Blind Girl and an Elephant portrays rural Bangladeshi life, social realities and the inner worlds of women through carefully composed frames, the interplay of light and shadow, and static, extended shots. Made on a limited budget, the film uses its visual style as a central element of its storytelling.

Rural lives, belief and the desire for freedom

The film follows three women living in rural Bangladesh as they navigate their lives, dreams and aspirations for freedom amid superstition, religious conservatism, patriarchal social structures and social restrictions.

At its centre is a visually impaired young woman whose life takes a series of tragic and unexpected turns. A mysterious elephant that appears along her journey becomes a symbol of freedom, hope and resistance.

Through a poetic cinematic approach, the film explores women’s lives, belief, social control and personal freedom. Its combination of rural realities, folk culture, symbolism and mystery gives the narrative a distinctive visual identity.

A growing presence on the international festival circuit

Despite being made with limited resources by a young filmmaking team, The Blind Girl and an Elephant has received recognition at several international film festivals.

In 2026, the film had its world premiere in the Asian New Talent Competition at the 28th Shanghai International Film Festival in China. Cinematographer Samiul Karim Shuptak won the Golden Goblet Award for Best Cinematography at the festival.

The film later competed at the 2026 Amur Autumn International Film and Theatre Festival, where it won the Golden Crane Award for Best Cinematography.

It also made the shortlist for the Critics’ Recommended Film Overview at the third 35mm Film Critics’ Week in Tai’an, China. The film was the only international production among the five selected titles.

Additionally, it has been selected for the International Critics’ Week Competition at the 47th Cairo International Film Festival, where it will compete for the Shadi Abdel Salam Award for Best Film and the Fathy Farag Award – Special Jury Prize.

Its selection for two competitions at EnergaCAMERIMAGE 2026, alongside the Golden Frog nominations for its director and cinematographer, adds another milestone to the film’s international journey and brings further attention to independent Bangladeshi cinema.

Film credits and cast

• Written and directed by: Ishtiyak Ahmad Zihad
• Producer: Manoj Pramanik
• Co-producer: Fazle Hasan Shishir
• Associate producer: Christoph Thoke
• Consulting producer: Darcy Paquet
• Cinematography: Samiul Karim Shuptak
• Editing: Hasib Ahmed
• Colour grading: Chinnmoy Roy
• Sound design and mixing: Sayba Talukder
• Music: Sayonton Mangsang
• Cast: Sanjida Akter Sorna, Tahmida Rahman Touhida, Sumaiya Haque, Mounsiff Mim, Ashok Bepari, Joyita Mahalanobish, Pankaj Palit, Nishat Tasnim, Robius Sunny, among others.

Film details

• Title: The Blind Girl and an Elephant
• Bengali title: সাঁকোটা দুলছে
• Director: Ishtiyak Ahmad Zihad
• Countries: Bangladesh and Germany
• Format: Feature-length narrative film
• Runtime: 80 minutes
• Language: Bengali
• Visual format: Black and white
• Production companies: MANpaCHITRA, Bangladesh, and Mogador Film, Germany
• Festival: 34th EnergaCAMERIMAGE International Film Festival 2026
• Location: Toruń, Poland
• Festival dates: 7–14 November 2026

Official competition categories

1. Directors’ Debuts Competition
2. Cinematographers’ Debuts Competition

Golden Frog nominees

• Ishtiyak Ahmad Zihad: Directors’ Debuts Competition
• Samiul Karim Shuptak: Cinematographers’ Debuts Competition