‘Face of Tomorrow’ celebrates winners, unveils 10 new films

The inaugural season of “Face of Tomorrow 2026”, an initiative aimed at discovering emerging acting talent while showcasing Bangladesh’s stories, people, culture and destinations through cinema, concluded recently at International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) in Dhaka.

The gala marked the culmination of a nationwide search that saw young talents participate in auditions, intensive grooming sessions and multiple rounds of evaluation. From the final 20 contestants, Raisa and Labon were crowned the Champion Couple, receiving a cash prize of Tk5 lakh.

Sifna and Soumik secured the First Runner-Up position and received Tk3 lakh, while Moonmoon and Tomal were named Second Runner-Up and received Tk1 lakh.

However, the organisers emphasised that the competition is only the beginning of the contestants’ journey into the entertainment industry. As part of the social and cultural travel movement “Cholo Ghure Asi”, 10 short cinematic films are currently being developed under the direction of 10 Bangladeshi filmmakers.  

Several “Face of Tomorrow” talents have already secured opportunities to appear in these productions. Champion Labon will make his cinematic debut in filmmaker Zahid Pritom’s “Wishlist”, alongside Second Runner-Up Moonmoon. Champion Raisa will appear in filmmaker Miftah Anan’s “Evabeo Bhalobasa Hoy”, alongside First Runner-Up Soumik. Tomal Moulik has also been selected for filmmaker Priti Dutta’s “Durer Manush”.

The 10 short films are “Uttore Voyongkor”, “Nandini”, “Mayanir”, “Wishlist”, “Durer Manush”, “Kanta”, “Haor Express”, “Evabeo Bhalobasa Hoy”, “Shomikoroner Baire” and “Devi”. Though each film presents a distinct narrative and creative world, they share a common goal of exploring Bangladesh through cinema while providing emerging performers with a professional platform.

Hosted by presenter Aisha Khan, the gala brought together prominent figures from the country’s cultural and entertainment sectors. Among those present were State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Yasser Khan Chowdhury, Bangladesh Film Certification Board Vice Chairman SM Abdur Rahman, Bangladesh Film Distributors and Cineplex Association President Awlad Hossain, actor Misha Sawdagor, and filmmaker-actor Gazi Rakayet.

The three judges of “Face of Tomorrow”--filmmaker Animesh Aich, actress Richi Solaiman and actress Naznin Hasan Chumki--also attended the event. The 10 participating filmmakers introduced their upcoming films and shared their creative visions with the audience.

The gala featured performances choreographed by Mofassal Alif, fashion choreography by Bulbul Tumpa, a special stage presentation and a dynamic beatboxing performance by Beatmosphere.

Organised by Marketers 360 Degree, “Face of Tomorrow” seeks to go beyond discovering new faces, aiming instead to create meaningful pathways for emerging talents while presenting Bangladesh and its diverse cultural identity to the audience through cinema.