Rubaiyat Hossain
director · 1981 · Bangladeshi
Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Director (award year 2022, Shimu) — the second woman to win the category; TIFF 2019 premiere; Venice Orizzonti 2026
4 films catalogued4 directed
Rubaiyat Hossain (b. 1981) makes films centred on Bangladeshi women’s labour, sexuality and religious identity — subjects that saw her debut Meherjaan (2011) briefly withdrawn from cinemas after nationalist objections. Made in Bangladesh (2019), about garment workers organising a union, premiered at Toronto and won her the National Film Award for Best Director, making her the second woman to take the category. Her fourth feature premiered in Venice’s Orizzonti competition in 2026.
Defining films
Meherjaan (2011) · Under Construction (2015) · Made in Bangladesh / Shimu (2019) · The Difficult Bride (2026)
