Adnan Al Rajeev’s short film Ali will have its North American premiere at the prestigious 50th Toronto International Film Festival’s Short Cuts competition. The film made history earlier and won the Special Mention in the short film competition at its world premiere at the Festival de Cannes.
After Cannes, "Ali" had its Australian premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival. Produced by Tanveer Hossain and Kristine De Leon, the screenplay and dialogues are written by Arvin Belarmino and Kyla Danelle Romero. The story line follows a teenager in a coastal town where women aren’t allowed to sing. He joins a singing competition for a chance to move to the city, while hiding his true voice in a sinister way.
‘Ali’ was filmed in Sylhet, and according to the director, Sylhet’s natural beauty was the only thing he could think about while filming. It’s a film that is made with soul and heart. The film has no background score. It relies solely on ambient sound to create the film's eerie atmosphere.
About the Cannes win, producer Tanveer Hossain said, “Winning any award at an international festival is a big deal, but Cannes? That’s being told you belong among the best storytellers on the planet. For Ali to be recognized there, it’s not just a win, it’s a turning point. It tells Bangladeshi cinema: your voice matters, your craft holds weight, and the world is listening. This is a great milestone, yes, but more than that, it’s a mirror. A reflection of what we’re capable of. Already, we’re seeing ripple effects. More young filmmakers are daring to tell bold, personal stories. Ali showed that a film can be short in length, but never short on ambition. It raised the bar, for storytelling, for technical craft, for how we see ourselves in cinema.”
