‘Annie’ wins best series award at Geneva Film Festival

Bangladeshi miniseries “ANNIE”, directed by Abdullah Mohammad Saad and starring Nazifa Tushi, has won the “Future Is Sensible Award” for best series at the 32nd Geneva International Film Festival in Switzerland.

The award was officially announced at the festival’s closing and awards ceremony on 7 November at Theatre Pitoëff, located at Maison Communale de Plainpalais in Geneva.

Actress Nazifa Tushi shared the news in a Facebook post on Sunday.  “I’m beyond happy to share that ANNIE has won the Future Is Sensible Award at the 32nd Geneva International Film Festival - GIFF Switzerland. GIFF’s Future Is Sensible section is particularly close to my heart because it celebrates stories that look beyond entertainment, stories that carry human values, raise questions and make us think about the world we are living in and the future we are creating. To have ANNIE recognised in such a space feels incredibly special”, the post reads.  

Selected for the Future Is Sensible section, ‘Annie’ received the Best Series honour on its debut at the prestigious festival, marking another significant international achievement for Bangladeshi audiovisual productions.

The miniseries had two screenings during the festival, held on 2 and 5 November at Le Cinéma du Grütli–Salle Simon. Its participation culminated in the award at the closing ceremony.

Directed by Abdullah Mohammad Saad, the series features Nazifa Tushi in the titular role. Yash Rohan, Symon Sadik, Sarika Sabrin, Farhana Mithu and Najah, among others, also appear in the production.

Earlier, “Annie” was selected for the Women in Series section of the Seriencamp Festival, an international series festival held in Cologne, Germany. The series had its world premiere at the festival on 9 June, representing Bangladesh at the international platform.

The producers have also announced plans to release the miniseries for Bangladeshi audiences on the OTT platform iScreen.

Saad previously gained international recognition with his debut feature film, “Live from Dhaka”, released in 2016. His second film, “Rehana Maryam Noor” (2021), was selected for the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first Bangladeshi film to secure a place in the festival’s official selection. The film was subsequently screened at more than 15 international festivals.

With its latest achievement in Geneva, ‘Annie’ has added another milestone to its international journey, bringing further recognition to Bangladesh’s storytelling and creative talent.