Two factions of BFFS at loggerheads
Two factions of Bangladesh Federation of Film Societies have invited applications separately from producers for submission of the Bangladesh entry to the upcoming 85th edition of Oscars in the foreign language category. The two factions, both claiming themselves to be the authorised bodies, have issued press releases asking the producers to submit the applications to their respective addresses by different deadlines, leaving the producers in utter confusion.
The producers said the ‘tug of war’ between the factions might result in no submission of entry from
Bangladesh for the Academy Awards ceremony, organised by the United States Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
One faction has formed a nine-member committee headed by producer Habibur Rahman Khan and has requested filmmakers to submit applications for movies released between October 1, 2011 and September 30, 2012 to the federation office at Kakrail in Dhaka by September 15.
The other faction has formed an 11-member committee headed by cultural personality Hasan Imam and asked producers of movies released after September 2011, to apply for Oscars entry to the Bangladesh Film Producers’ Association Office at Bangladesh Film Development Corporation by September 12.
The two committees consist of different people except two – Abdul Latif Bachchu, president of Bangladesh Chalachhitra Grahak Sangstha, and Abu Musa Debu, president of Film Editors Guild – who are members of both the committees.
Both of factions, however, state the same clauses for eligibility as mentioned in the ‘Special Rules for the Best Foreign Language Film Award’ category in the Oscars, saying that the submissions must be first publicly exhibited by means of 35mm or 70mm film, no type of television or Internet transmission may occur at any time prior to the film’s theatrical release, the film must be predominantly in a language or languages other than English and accurate English subtitles are required.
‘Our committee has got confirmation from Oscars committee for selection,’ said Habibur Rahman Khan, chairman of one faction, who also claims himself to be the president of Bangladesh Federation of Film Societies.
Claiming that the committee headed by Hasan Imam is the authorised body, filmmaker and a leader of the federation, Golam Rabbani Biplab, said, ‘In the last correspondence on August 24, the Oscars committee confirmed that the Hasan Imam-led committee is the authorised body.’
‘They [Habibur Rahman Khan-led committee] will not be able to produce an authorisation letter,’ said Biplab, who claims himself to be an executive committee member of the federation.
Producers are confused by the conflicting claims. ‘I don’t know where to submit my movie. I’m really confused and I believe, their rivalries will tarnish the country’s image,’ said a producer.
Bangladesh faced embarrassment in the Oscars ceremony last year when the two fractions sent separate entries. Finally, the Oscars committee did not accept any of the submissions.
‘No movie from Bangladesh could participate in the last year’s Oscars simply because of their rivalries,’ Nasiruddin Yousuff, director of Guerilla, a strong competitor of the year, told New Age.
‘I expected my movie would go to Oscars last year since it had won wide acclaim and participated in other prestigious festivals, including Moscow International Film Festival,’ he added.
The first entry from Bangladesh in the foreign language category in the Oscars was The Clay Bird (Matir Moyna), directed by Tareque Masud, in 2002.
Bangladesh Oscars Committee, a newly formed organsation with participation of people from different fields of culture, submitted the nomination for the 75th edition of the Oscars.
Bangladesh Federation of Film Societies took the responsibility for sending entries to the Oscars in 2005. Between 2005 and 2010, the federation nominated six movies – Humayun Ahmed’s Shyamal Chhaya, Abu Sayeed’s Forever Flows (Nirontor), Golam Rabbany Biplab’s On the Wings of Dreams (Swapnoddanay), Enamul Karim Nirjhar’s Aha!, Golam Rabbany Biplab’s Beyond the Circle (Britter Baire) and Mostafa Sarwar Farooki’s Third Person Singular Number.
But the federation leaders were sharply divided last year over the issue of selection, following their dispute over committee formation and the differences affected the submission process in 2010 as well. In that year, one group mounted pressure to select a particular movie without even watching the rest of the entries.
As a result, two committees had been formed and two nominations sent in 2011.
After last year’s dispute, Oscars organising committee conducted an investigation, but the report has not been disclosed, said the sources.
Demanding government intervention, Nasiruddin Yousuff said, ‘The government should form a separate selection committee for Oscars.’
Courtesy of New Age
