Bangladesh has formally selected Mejbaur Rahman Sumon’s Roid as the country’s official submission for the International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards. The announcement, made at a press event in Dhaka, names Roid as the film that will carry Bangladeshi cinema into the Academy’s longlisting process for the awards season culminating in early 2027.
Why Roid was chosen
Roid, Sumon’s follow up to his earlier internationally noticed film, has attracted attention for its stark visual language and allegorical storytelling. The selection committee convened under the Bangladesh Federation of Film Societies evaluated five submissions received before the national deadline. According to committee representatives, Roid stood out for its cinematic craft, festival track record, and the way it presents a distinctly Bangladeshi story while speaking to universal themes.
The film explores a tense, elemental relationship in a rural, near isolated setting, using imagery and performance to probe desire, attachment and the cycles that bind people to one another. Critics and festival programmers have signaled that Roid blends formal daring with accessible emotional tensions, qualities the Oscar Bangladesh Committee cited as reasons the film could resonate with international voters.
From local release to international screenings
Roid screened at multiple festivals earlier in the year and secured international bookings that increased its visibility among programmers and distributors. The film has been part of international festival lineups and has attracted distribution interest for screens in North America. That festival trajectory helped build a case with the national selection panel that Roid is a competitive representative for Bangladesh on the Academy stage.
The film features strong central performances from its lead actors and a production design that foregrounds rural landscape as character. Those qualities, combined with Sumon’s reputation as a director who has successfully bridged local success and festival recognition, contributed to the committee’s decision.
What selection means for Bangladeshi cinema
While selection does not guarantee a nomination from the Academy, the choice of Roid is significant for Bangladesh’s cinema industry. Each official submission amplifies the country’s presence in global film conversations, creating opportunities for sales agents, festival programmers and critics to engage with Bangladeshi work. For filmmakers working in Bangladesh, the selection signals that locally rooted, auteur-driven storytelling can find pathways to international attention and markets.
Industry figures at the press event framed this selection as part of a wider momentum. Over the past several years Bangladeshi films have increased their participation at major international festivals, and filmmakers and distributors have been more active cultivating overseas audiences. The Roid announcement reinforces that trend and provides a new promotional anchor for the film as it pursues sales and screenings abroad.
Next steps for Roid and the Oscar timeline
Following the national submission, the Academy will publish its longlist and then a shortlist ahead of nominations and final voting. The film will be eligible for consideration in the International Feature Film process if it meets the Academy rules and deadlines for exhibition and submission materials. Filmmakers and producers typically use the national submission to negotiate theatrical bookings, festival slots and publicity campaigns that strengthen their profile before Academy shortlisting.
For Roid, producers have already signaled plans to expand the film’s international run, including curated screenings aimed at Academy voters, festival programmers and diaspora audiences in North America. The film’s backers see the Oscar submission as an opportunity to leverage institutional screenings, press outreach and awards season strategy to increase the film’s prospects.
Broader cultural impact
Beyond awards mechanics, the selection invites renewed attention to Bangladesh’s cinematic identities and the stories filmmakers choose to tell. Roid’s selection underscores a preference this year for films that fuse formal ambition with narratives anchored in local experiences. For audiences in Bangladesh, the moment is likely to stimulate interest in arthouse and festival cinema as well as discussions about how national stories are packaged for global viewers.
Whether Roid advances to the Academy’s shortlist or nominations will depend on wider voting dynamics and the competitive field from around the world. Regardless of the outcome, the selection is a concrete marker of visibility for Bangladeshi filmmaking, and a milestone for the film’s cast and crew as they continue to promote their work internationally.
The Bangladesh Federation of Film Societies has indicated it will support screenings and publicity efforts for Roid in the coming months, as the film embarks on the next phase of its awards season journey.
