Shah Newaz Khan Cju is an internationally renowned director, producer, and cinematographer based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He gained significant international recognition in the U.S., Canada, and the Middle East for his debut short film, "Not a Fiction," which has been featured in several prestigious film festivals, including three Academy Award-qualifying festivals. Critics have praised the film for its impactful, one-shot format, which tackles the issue of extrajudicial killings.
"Not a Fiction" has been selected for several significant film festivals, including the Hamilton International Film Festival and the Silver Wave Film Festival in Canada in 2023, both of which qualify for the Canadian Screen Awards. Additionally, the film was featured at the 33rd Cinequest Film & VR Festival 2024 in California, the 19th Tasveer Film Festival & Market 2024 in Seattle, Washington, and the 18th Beirut Shorts International Film Festival 2024 in Lebanon; all of them are Oscar-qualifying festivals.
In addition, "Not a Fiction" screened at the Vienna International Film Awards 2024, the 3rd AIU Kuwait International Film Festival 2024, the 2024 Erie International Film Festival in the United States, the International Usak Short Film Festival 2024, the Golden Bridge International Short Film Festival 2024 in Turkey, and the Serbest International Film Festival 2024 in Moldova.
Before embarking on his filmmaking career, Cju worked as the festival director and convener of the 9th and 10th International Children’s Film Festival, Rangpur, in 2016 and 2017. Also, he was the festival coordinator of the Global Youth Film Festival 2018.
After this he worked as an assistant director with prominent Bangladeshi filmmakers Mostofa Sarwar Farooki and Redoan Rony, contributing to over 50 television commercials and fictional works from 2019 to 2023.
He founded his own production company, Think Tankers Production, in 2022, through which he has produced various commercials and is working on new film projects.
Cju's work continues to garner attention for its social relevance and innovative storytelling techniques. Right now, he is working on some new projects, including his debut feature film and other international projects.
