# Sultana's Dream (film)

Sultana's Dream (Spanish: El sueño de la sultana) is a 2023 animated drama film directed by Isabel Herguera from a screenplay she co-wrote with Gianmarco Serra, based in part on the 1905 short story of the same name by Rokeya Hossain.

## Premise

Inés, a Spanish artist living in India, travels throughout the country learning about the life of author Rokeya Hossain and the utopian Ladyland she described in her 1905 short story Sultana's Dream.

## Cast

* Mary Beard
* Miren Arrieta
* Mireia Gabilondo
* Maurizio Faraoni
* Manu Khurana
* Arunima Bhattacharya
* Ranjitha Rajeevan
* Paul B. Preciado

## Production

In 2012, Herguera launched a crowdfunded workshop series in India focused on Sultana's Dream by Rokeya Hossain. The director later received a screenwriting grant from the Basque government to develop a film based on Hossain's work.
Each of the film's three parts was created using a different animation technique. Portions of the narrative centered on Inés are animated with ink and watercolor, shadow puppets tell the story of Rokeya Hossain, and the fictional Ladyland is animated using mendhi.

## Release

Sultana's Dream screened as a work-in-progress at the 2023 Annecy International Animation Film Festival. The completed film premiered on 24 September 2023 at the San Sebastián International Film Festival, where it was awarded the Basque Film Award and the award for the Best Basque Screenplay. The film was released nationwide in Spain on 17 November.

## Reception
### Box office

Sultana's Dream grossed $7,867 during the film's theatrical release in Spain.

### Accolades

| Name of the Award | Ceremony date | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
| AWARDS |||||
| San Sebastián International Film Festival | 30 September 2023 | Basque Film Award | Sultana's Dream | Won |
| San Sebastián International Film Festival | 30 September 2023 | Best Basque Screenplay | Isabel Herguera, Gianmarco Serra | Won |
| Filmfest Hamburg | 7 October 2023 | Hamburg Producers Award for European Cinema Co-Productions | Fabian Driehorst | Won |
| Quirino Awards | May 2024 | Best Visual Development | Isabel Herguera, Rocío Álvarez, Elena Jariego Antón, Duna Tàrrega | Won |
| Annecy International Animation Film Festival | 15 June 2024 | Contrechamp Grand Prix | Sultana's Dream | Won |
| Animafest Zagreb | 8 June 2024 | Grand Competition Feature Film | Sultana's Dream | Won |
| Festival international du film d'animation de Bruxelles | Feb-Mar 2024 | Award For Best Animated Feature | Sultana's Dream | Won |
| Seoul Indie-AniFest | Oct 2024 | Mirinae Grand Prix | Sultana's Dream | Won |
| Leeds International Film Festival (LIFF) | Nov 2024 | Special Mention | Sultana's Dream | Won |
| Celtic Media Festival | Abr 2024 | Best Animation | Sultana's Dream | Won |
| Cartoons on the Bay | Abr 2024 | Best Screenplay & Special prize | Isabel Herguera, Gianmarco Serra | Won |
| World Festival of animated film Varna | Oct 2024 | Best Feature Film | Sultana's Dream | Won |
| Animest International Animation Film Festival | Oct 2024 | Special Mention | Sultana's Dream | Won |
| Animadeba, Festival internacional de animación | Sep 2024 | EITB Award | Sultana's Dream | Won |
| International Animation Film and Comics Art Festival of Yerevan | Oct 2024 | Jury Special Mention | Sultana's Dream | Won |
| Wench Film Festival | Nov 2024 | Special Mention | Sultana's Dream | Won |
| Nominations |||||
| San Sebastián International Film Festival | 30 September 2023 | Golden Shell | Sultana's Dream | Nominated |
| European Film Awards | 7 December 2024 | European Animated Feature Film | Sultana's Dream | Nominated |
| Forqué Awards | 16 December 2023 | Best Animated Film | Sultana's Dream | Nominated |
| Feroz Awards | 26 January 2024 | 'Arrebato' Special Award (Fiction) | Sultana's Dream | Nominated |
| Goya Awards | 10 February 2024 | Best Animated Film | Sultana's Dream | Nominated |
| Platino Awards | 20 April 2024 | Best Animated Film | Sultana's Dream | Nominated |
| Quirino Awards | 11 May 2024 | European Director of the year | Isabel Herguera | Nominated |
| Deutscher Menschenrechtspreis | 11 November 2024 | Human Rights Award | Sultana's Dream | Nominated |