Bangladeshi-Canadian filmmaker Wahid Ibn Reza’s ‘After Us’ wins three Leo Awards

Bangladeshi-Canadian filmmaker Wahid Ibn Reza has brought international recognition to Bangladesh’s animation industry after his short animated film “After Us” won three awards at the 2026 Leo Awards in Canada.

The awards were presented during the annual ceremony held in Vancouver on July 4 and 5. Established in 1999, the Leo Awards recognise excellence in film, television, animation and digital productions created in British Columbia.

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“After Us” received nominations in four categories and won three of them, taking home awards for Best Animation Program, Best Art Direction, and Best Sound Design.

Its victory in the Best Animation Program category was particularly notable, as it competed against several internationally recognised productions, including “LEGO Disney Frozen”, “LEGO Marvel Avengers”, “Snoopy Presents”, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”, and an animated short featuring the voice of actor Andy Serkis.

Produced by the National Film Board of Canada, the five-minute, five-second film imagines a world after the disappearance of humanity. Through the journey of a wolf and a wolverine across a post-apocalyptic landscape, “After Us” explores themes of climate change, nature’s resilience and survival.

Reacting to the achievement on social media, Wahid Ibn Reza reflected on a childhood memory involving his first prize. He recalled receiving a toy guitar as a consolation prize from his mother after losing a childhood competition, only to later return it. Joking about the memory, he said it is still the first thing that comes to mind whenever he thinks about awards.

He also described winning three awards from four nominations as a remarkable achievement for the entire team, ending his post with his trademark humour: “Not bad, not bad at all.”

Before pursuing filmmaking, Wahid Ibn Reza graduated in Mechanical Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) before moving to Canada to study filmmaking at the University of British Columbia.

Throughout his career in visual effects and animation, he has contributed to major international productions, including “Game of Thrones”, “Rick and Morty”, “Doctor Strange”, “Black Panther”, “Guardians of the Galaxy”, and “Hotel Transylvania”. His earlier animated film, “Surviving ’71”, also received acclaim at several international film festivals.