Keeping the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in mind, the 19th Dhaka International Film Festival (DIFF) will be held both physically and virtually in Dhaka from January 16-24, 2021. This is the first time the festival will be using a virtual platform.
The DIFF is one of the most prestigious film events in Bangladesh and has helped in shaping an increasingly healthy and positive national film culture. The festival has also created space for young and aspiring filmmakers in Bangladesh and larger South Asia to connect with global artistic community and to strengthen the parallel development of Bangladeshi cinema. The general theme of the festival is “Better Film, Better Audience and Better Society.”
Hybrid screenings
During the 19th DIFF, organizers expect to screen about 200 films, with participation from around 60 countries. The screening will be held at the Alliance Francaise de Dhaka, Star Cineplex, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Central Public Library Auditorium and Bangladesh National Museum Auditorium.
Dhaka International Film Festival will be using the virtual platform for the first time starting this coming festival, besides the cinema halls. Film-makers should submit their films keeping in mind the possibility of being projected online.
The festival will have a competition for Asian Cinema Section, Retrospective, Bangladesh Panorama Section, Cinema of the World Section, Children Films Section, Women Filmmakers Section, Short and Independent Films Section and Spiritual Films Section.
Jury Board
The juries confirmed so far include director Anjan Dutta (Asian Competition), actor Bonna Mirza (Spiritual Films), actor Ferdous Ahmed (Asian Competition), thespian Leesa Gazi (Women Filmmakers), Bosnian director Sahin Sisic (Spiritual Films), Sri Lankan director Dr Somarante Dissanayake (Asian Competition), and Jordanian director Dina Nasser (Women Filmmakers).
Asian Competition Section
Fiction films from Asia with a minimum length of 70 minutes are eligible for entry. An international jury board will adjudicate the Asian competition section. The award will include a crest, certificate for the best film and also Taka 1 lakh (1200USD) only. The international jury committee will also select one Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Script and Best Cinematographer. These awards will consist of a crest and certificate.
Retrospective
This section showcases the best works of a prominent director. This year’s cineaste, from either Asia or Europe, is yet to be announced.
Bangladesh Panorama
This section promotes Bangladeshi filmmakers. Around 7-10 selected fiction/documentary films from 2019 and 2020 with a minimum length of 70 minutes are eligible for entry in this section. The International Film Critics’ Federation, FIPRESCI will give the Critics’ Award. One Best Film will be selected by the FIPRESCI juries. The award will be in the form of a certificate and a crest.
Cinema of the World
Around 20-25 curated fiction/documentary films from 2019 to 2020 with a minimum length of 55 minutes are eligible for entry in this section. One film will be selected for an Audience Award by the general viewers. The award will be in the form of a certificate and a crest.
Children’s Film
This section includes 15 fiction films. These films encourage school children, their parents and their teachers to come and watch the films and be introduced to important issues pertaining to their lives. One film will be selected by audience vote for the Best Juvenile Film Audience Award. The award will be in the form of a certificate and a crest.
Short and Independent Film
DIFF will screen films by independent filmmakers experimenting with a variety of filming formats.
Women Filmmakers Section
A selection of full-length feature films as well as short length and documentary films by female filmmakers will be screened. An independent jury of female filmmakers, cultural experts, artists, and professionals will be appointed by the Festival Committee to award one documentary, one fiction film and best director. The award will be in the form of a certificate and a crest. The films must be from 2019 to 2020 with a minimum length of 70 minutes to be eligible for entry in this section. Documentaries and short films may be included in Women Filmmaker section with a maximum length of 30 minutes.
Spiritual Films Section
This section promotes public discourse on faith and spirituality in the human context. The showcasing of films on spirituality would promote greater cross-cultural understanding and tolerance and facilitate dialogues within and between communities. One documentary and one fiction film (from 2019 to 2020) will be selected by the international interfaith juries. The award will be in the form of a certificate and a crest. Documentaries and short films may be included in Spiritual Films section with a maximum length of 30 minutes.
Women in Cinema Conference 2021
Woman film personalities from all over the world are expected to participate in the Seventh Dhaka International Conference on Women in Cinema 2021. This conference will be held on Sunday, January 17 and Monday, January 18, 2021 during the festival.
“This conference will serve as the heart of our upcoming festival,” according to the Festival Director, Ahmed Muztaba Zamal.
West Meets East
Cinema by virtue of its invention had essentially remained a western art form. When the countries from the east adopted the art, they had approached it quite differently. Like any other art there remained a clear division between the cinema from the east and that from the west and it was assumed that “Never the twain shall meet”.
There has been a significant change over the years. International Film Festivals have become a meeting point between the two. As a result, more and more films from the east are being appreciated by the west and vice versa. However, there has been a school of thought that the west has been more patronizing than appreciating in their approach. It is also felt that only a certain kind of cinema form this region gets recognition.
A day long programme will be held at the Dhaka International Film Festival-DIFF on January 19, 2021 where these discourses will be raised, discussed and refuted.
Selection process
The selection committee will preview and select films in DVDs (PAL) and downloadable links. Preview tapes will not be returned. They will be preserved for the festival archive for academic purpose. After submission and selection, no films can be withdrawn.
As per the existing policy every film participating in the festival will have to be submitted to the Bangladesh film censorship board for clearance certificate. If you decide to submit your film it will be assumed that you have given the permission to edit and delete as per the terms and conditions of our censor board.
DIFF requires films to not have any record of being screened in any other Bangladeshi film festival before. The last date for sending downloadable link is September 30, 2020.
About Rainbow Film Society
The Festival has been organized on a regular basis by Rainbow Film Society since 1977. Apart from holding regular film shows and film related seminars and workshops, Rainbow also brings out The Celluloid, one of the leading cinema periodicals from Bangladesh with an international audience.