The 13th edition of Dhaka International Film Festival began on Friday through screening of the Arabic French director Kadija Leclere’s film The Bag of Flour at the Bangladesh National Museum auditorium.
It was followed by the screening of the Indonesian maker Kamila Andini’s film The Mirror Never Lies at the same venue.
Finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith was present at the opening ceremony as the chief guest. Information minister Hasanul Haque Inu, first secretary of Netherlands Embassy Henrick van Asch, cultural personality Farah Kabir and professor Ekramullah were present as special guests at the programme.
The inauguration programme was presided over by festival director Ahmed Muztaba Zamal who welcomed the guests at the biggest biannual festival organised by Rainbow Film Society with the theme ‘Better Film, Better Audience and Better Society’.
Finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith emphasised on the importance of the industry by saying that, ‘Films are not only for entertainment. Films have a national value as a country is represented through the films made in that country.’
Supplementing Muhith, information minister Hasanul Haque Inu said that, ‘Society and people both are influenced by films. It is the area of films where the highest technology is used, making it a diverse world of entertainment.’
On the other hand, Ahmed Muztaba Zamal pointed out to the shortcomings by saying that, ‘The problem in organising such festival is the lack of finance. It should be brought to the government’s attention that proper funding is required to host international festivals of this type.’
Later the festival was inaugurated by lighting an earthen lamp at the museum.
In the nine-day festival, organisers expect to screen around 150 films from 50 countries in five venues including the Central Public Library, two auditoriums of the Bangladesh National Museum, Alliance Francise de Dhaka and EMK centre in Dhanmondi.
The festival features a competition section for Asian and Australian cinema and segment categories for retrospective, cinema of the world, children’s film, women filmmakers’ films, short and independent films and spiritual films.
An international jury board will adjudicate the Australasian competition section showcasing 23 films from 17 Asian and Australian countries. The award will include a crest, certificate and a cash prize of Tk. 100,000/- for the best film.
The international jury committee will also select one best director, best actor, best actress, best music director and best cinematographer.
The competition section of the festival will be held at Alliance Francaise de Dhaka.
Bangladesh National Museum auditorium will be the venue of the Cinema of the World section while the Sufia Kamal auditorium of the museum will be the venue of Short & Independent and Spiritual Film section.
Films of children section and competition section will also be screened at the Central Public Library Auditorium.
Like the previous editions of the festival there will be a workshop. The fourth Dhaka Cine Workshop will be held from January 12 to January 17on ULAB campus at Satmasjid Road, Dhanmondi. Portuguese actor-director Francisco Veres Machado will conduct the weeklong workshop. Creative professionals from diverse fields of the film industry will also deliver speeches at the workshop.
The other major attraction of this edition is an international conference on women cinema. Around 30 women filmmakers, actors and personalities from all over the world will attend the two-day conference, which will end today at the Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Hall of Dhaka University.
-With New Age input
