Entertainment Desk:

The Bangladeshi feature film “Balur Nagorite”, internationally known as “Sand City”, directed by Mahde Hasan, has clinched the Proxima Grand Prix at the 59th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Hosted in the Czech town of Karlovy Vary, the prestigious festival ran from July 4 to July 12, concluding with an awards ceremony that highlighted both standout cinematic works and notable international talent. This year’s edition featured unexpected moments and a gathering of leading voices in global cinema.

A major highlight for Bangladesh came as “Sand City” was honoured with the top prize in the Proxima section, securing a cash award of $15,000.

Selected as the best film in its category, “Sand City” received high praise from the international jury, who described it as “a distinctive narrative where silence and loneliness unfold as a deeply human language.”

In the festival’s main competition, the top honour went to “Better Go Mad in the Wild” by Miro Remo — a Czech-Slovak documentary capturing, with humour and heart, the solitary lives of two unusual brothers. The film explores themes of disconnection and unwavering individuality.

The Special Jury Prize was awarded to Iranian filmmaker Soheil Beiraghi for “Bidad”. The Best Director accolade was shared between Vytautas Katkus for “The Visitor” and Nathan Ambrosioni for “Out of Love”.

Pia Tjelta won Best Actress for her role in the Norwegian film “Don’t Call Me Mama”, while Best Actor went to Àlex Brendemühl for his performance in the Spanish film “When a River Becomes the Sea”.