Karlovy Vary Selection ‘Sand City’ Picked Up by Diversion for World Sales (EXCLUSIVE)

Bangkok-based sales outfit Diversion has acquired worldwide rights to “Sand City,” the debut feature from Bangladeshi filmmaker Mahde Hasan, which will world premiere in the Proxima Competition at the 2025 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

The film is produced by Rubaiyat Hossain and Aadnan Imtiaz Ahmed under their Khona Talkies banner, in association with Cinema Cocoon. The production team previously collaborated on Hossain’s “Made in Bangladesh,” which premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival.

“Sand City” won the CNC Development Award at Locarno Open Doors and participated in industry programs including Produire au Sud, La Fabrique Cinéma in Cannes, and Film Bazaar in India. The project also received production support from Visions Sud Est.

The narrative follows two parallel storylines centered around the element of sand. Emma, played by Victoria Chakma in her screen debut, collects sand weekly for her cat litter during scooter rides around the city. Her routine takes a dark turn when she discovers a severed finger with a crimson-painted nail in the sand, leading to an unusual obsession with the grisly find.

Meanwhile, Hasan, portrayed by Mostafa Monwar, works at a sand-washing plant where he steals material to create glass at home. His solitary hobby evolves into grandiose dreams of building a massive glass factory, ultimately becoming a destructive fantasy.

Monwar brings significant credentials to the role, having won best performance at the 2016 Singapore International Film Festival for “Live from Dhaka” and appearing in Busan selection “Made in Bangladesh.”

The film is lensed by Mathieu Giombini, director of the cinematography department at La Fémis, adding European arthouse sensibilities to the Bangladeshi production.

Diversion secured worldwide rights excluding Bangladesh and Switzerland, with Mai Meksawan from the sales company negotiating with producer Aadnan Imtiaz Ahmed.