"The Difficult Bride," a supernatural feminist drama from Bangladeshi director Rubaiyat Hossain, has secured worldwide distribution through Films Boutique after winning selection to the Venice Film Festival's Horizons strand. The milestone marks the first feature film from Bangladesh to compete in this category, expanding international recognition for the country's cinema. Hossain, whose prior work includes the Toronto-screened "Made in Bangladesh," assembled a cast featuring multiple winners of Bangladesh's National Film Awards alongside lead performer Zaineen Chowdhury Karim in her acting debut.

Set within a historic Dhaka beauty salon, the film follows a bride-to-be as wedding preparations lead her into a world shaped by beauty rituals, faith and memory, inspired by a childhood urban legend about a bride's mysterious death. The production brought together cinematographer Leonor Teles, winner of Berlin's top short film award at an unusually young age, and composer Jim Williams, who has scored features for acclaimed French director Julia Ducournau. Financing came through partnerships including Prada's inaugural film fund, alongside support from cultural institutions across France, Portugal, Norway and Germany.