Bangladeshi filmmaker Rezwan Shahriar Sumit’s political drama MASTER has won the Best Screenplay award in the World Competition section of the 53rd Belgrade International Film Festival (FEST), which ended on Sunday, adding another major international accolade to its growing festival success.

The screenplay, co-written by Sumit and Sabbir Hossain Shovon, was recognised by the festival jury for its narrative structure and exploration of political corruption, betrayal and personal transformation.

In its citation, translated from Serbian, the jury described MASTER as “a compelling political drama exploring themes of betrayal, corruption, and the moral choices of a man entering the halls of power.”

The jury also praised the film’s tense atmosphere and portrayal of a character’s changing relationship with power, noting that stories from smaller nations often reflect shared realities and resonate deeply with audiences worldwide.

The World Competition jury was chaired by Serbian film theorist, critic and screenwriter Saša Radojević. The other members were film director and Balkan Panorama Film Festival founder Prof Dr Sali Saliji Salini and film producer Martin Milinković.

The award places MASTER among the festival’s leading films, alongside Spanish historical drama The Red Hangar (Hangar Rojo), directed by Juan Pablo Salato, which won Best Picture, and Filipino filmmaker Rafael Manuel’s Filipiñana, which received the Best Director award.

Founded in 1971, Belgrade FEST is one of Europe’s long-standing international film festivals. Over more than five decades, it has brought together filmmakers and celebrated works from across the world.

The screenplay award marks another milestone in MASTER’s international festival journey. The film previously won the Big Screen Award at the 55th International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) and the Best Feature Award at the 22nd Lucca Film Festival in Italy.

Set against the realities of rural Bangladesh’s local governance, MASTER examines power, morality and human vulnerability through a political narrative that has drawn recognition at festivals in Europe.

The film features Nasir Uddin Khan as Jahir, known as Master, alongside Azmeri Haque Badhon, Zakia Bari Mamo, Fazlur Rahman Babu, Sharif Siraj, Tasnova Tamanna and Lutfar Rahman George.

Despite its international recognition, the film’s theatrical release in Bangladesh remains stalled, according to the press release, due to bureaucratic delays and clearance processes.