Mostofa Sarwar Frooki’s Shonibar Bikel (Saturday Afternoon) bagged the Kumamoto City Award from Fukuoka International Film Festival.
A one-take technical feat, the film was banned on the grounds that it might deepen the religious divide in the country.
In the past, Farooki said, “No one will understand the pain of going to the doors of ministers day after day. It makes me tired. Given an opportunity, I will definitely consider making movies somewhere else."
Farooki, a notable deshi face in international festivals, has time after time expressed his frustration with having to rely on the government’s whim to release a film in Bangladesh. Recently, the filmmaker has announced his next English language project.
Saturday Afternoon (শনিবার বিকেল) has just won Kumamoto City Award from Fukuoka International Film Festival! I want to...
Posted by Mostofa Sarwar Farooki on Tuesday, September 22, 2020
Farooki shared the good news on his Facebook account; many from the industry were quick to congratulate the director, including Redoan Rony, Ariq Anam Khan and Amitabh Reza Chowdhury.
Also Read: 'Shonibar Bikel' wins big at the Vesoul Film Festival
National Film Award-winning actor Titas Zia wrote: “Very warm congratulations to dear Mostofa Sarwar Farooki bhai and to his team. I am lucky enough that I have watched this film at Moscow Film Festival in 2019. I sincerely think that this film should be released in Bangladesh!”
The Fukuoka International Film Festival is relatively new, beginning its journey from 1991. The festival features around 50 films from the greater Asia region every year in September.