Noted filmmaker Kamar Ahmad Simon said that his one after another international recognitions for his film ‘Shunte Ki Pao!’ (Are You Listening!) boost him to overcome the hurdles he faces as an independent filmmaker in Bangladesh. The film, an artistic presentation of winning the nature by common people, has recently bagged Best Documentary Film Audience Award at the 9th Seattle South Asian Film Festival held in Seattle, USA from October 30 to November 9. Earlier, the film got 9 awards participating in 29 international film festivals.
Kamar on Wednesday told New Age that ‘The award is not only encouraging for me as a filmmaker but also inspiring for independent filmmakers like me in Bangladesh, who always face problems in every phase of inception to distribution channel for their films,’ Kamar said.
Talking about the barriers the independent filmmakers in the country, Kamar said, ‘We face financial constrains and limited resources but there is even a greater challenge for us: our film industry has lost it’s momentum as a functional industry.’
‘Apart from star-driven formula films, sometimes even very good films cannot be taken to a wider audience due to the gap between the evolving audience psyche and primitive business practices’ Kamar said.
Kamar observes that Hollywood and Bollywood films are getting benefitted from the unhealthy and unprofessional marketing and distribution channel in the country. But, the filmmaker is very optimistic. ‘A completely new generation is budding in the backyard and when they come, if guided, they will change all the rules of the game’
As a filmmaker, Kamar Ahmad Simon made a brilliant debut. In 2012, ‘Shunte Ki Pao!’ was the curtain raiser of the oldest documentary festival of the world named Dok Leipzig in Germany. Subsequently, it won the ‘Grand Prix’ as the best feature in 35th Cinema Du Reel, one of the major festivals in Europe, held in Paris last year, ‘Golden Conch’ for best documentary and Best Cinematography in 13th Mumbai International Film Festival and the Jury Prize in Film South Asia 2013.
-With New Age input
