Saba, directed by Maksud Hossain, is a superb debut feature from Bangladesh. It is a moving film about a young woman who becomes a devoted caregiver to her ageing, paraplegic mother--and how this responsibility overwhelms her, putting her job and love life in jeopardy. The film, that had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, TIFF, also won acclaim at the Busan Film Festival.

In addition to stalwart fiction feature directors like Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, newer voices from Bangladesh are being acclaimed at international fora, including Abdullah Mohammad Saad (Cannes), Rubaiyat Hossain (Toronto), Rezwan Shahriar Sumit (London), Nuhash Humayun (South by Southwest), Abu Shahed Emon (Busan), Iqbal H Chowdhury (Busan), Mohammad Rabby Mridha (Busan), Bijon Ahmed (Seattle), Shabnam Ferdousi (Toulouse), and now Maksud Hossain. Hossain, who grew up in Abu Dhabi and worked in the US, moved to Dhaka to make his debut feature. He has directed a number of shorts, including Three Beauties, which won a Student Academy Award.