Bangladeshi actor Intekhab Dinar wins best actor in Hollywood festival circuit

Bangladeshi actor Intekhab Dinar has broken new ground for South Asian cinema, winning the Best Actor Award at the LA Diversity Film Festival 2025 in the United States for his performance in the acclaimed short film A Thing About Kashem.

Directed by Bijon Imtiaz, who also won the Best Director Award, the 17-minute film tells the story of Kashem, a man unraveling under the weight of inner conflict and emotional turmoil. Dinar’s performance has been described by critics as “raw, layered, and hauntingly human.”

This latest recognition adds to the film’s growing prestige. Earlier this year, A Thing About Kashem won the Grand Prize at the Oscar-qualifying Rhode Island International Film Festival, putting the Bangladeshi production on the Academy Awards radar.

Imtiaz, praising his lead actor, said: “Dinar Bhai has the rare ability to disappear into a character. What he has achieved in this role is nothing short of world-class.”

Written by Nuhash Humayun and co-produced by Gupi Bagha, Long Story, and Screenscope Productions, the film’s international success is being seen as a milestone for Bangladeshi cinema. Industry watchers note that it signals a growing South Asian presence on the global film stage, where Bangladeshi storytelling is increasingly earning recognition alongside Bollywood and Hollywood.