A total of 180 films will be screened at the thirteenth edition of Dhaka International Film Festival which is scheduled to take place from January 10 to 18 at the Public Library and the National Museum.
Besides screening of the films, international seminars on films will be held at the festival. The theme of this year’s festival is ‘Better Film, Better Audience,
and Better Society.’Films from 61 countries, including Bangladesh, will be screened in seven categories of the festival which is being organised by Rainbow Film Society.
The seven categories of this year’s festival are: competition, retrospective, cinema of the world, children’s films, spiritual films, women filmmakers’ films and independent films.
19 Bangladeshi films will be screened at the festival along with some heavy weight films from the USA, Iran, Australia, the UK, Turkey, Taiwan, Spain, Russia, France, Nepal, Philipines, South Korea, Japan, Mayanmar, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Iceland, Denmark, Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland, Azerbaijan, Poland, Vietnam, Pakistan and others.
A jury board, consisting of international film experts and directors, will judge the films in the competition section. The best film will be awarded with a crest, a certificate and a cash prize of taka one lakh. The international jury board will also select one best director, best actor, best actress, best music director and best cinematographer from the films.
‘The Festival began its journey on 1977 and has been dedicated to the promotion of a quality cine culture in Bangladesh and in celebrating the global mainstream films in the country,’ said Ahmed Muztaba Zamal, president of Rainbow Film Society and director of the festival.
In the short span of twenty one years, DIFF has attained international recognition with twelve festivals held in 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012.
‘Dhaka International Film Festival is the most prestigious film event in Bangladesh. It has helped shape a positive national film culture in the country,’ said noted film director Khalid Mahmud Mithu whose film Jonakir Alo will be screened in the competition section of the festival.
-With New Age input