Dhaka DocLab concluded the Non-Fiction Storytelling Workshop for Women Filmmakers 2025 under the theme of Shaping your Idea into an Impactful Story in Dhaka on May 25.
The event, began on May 22 at Bengal Shilpalaya, Dhanmondi. Fifteen emerging women filmmakers from different parts of Bangladesh participated in the four-day workshop. Dhaka DocLab has been working to nurture documentary filmmakers in Asia since 2017, connecting them with producers from home and abroad through mentorship, pitching, and presentations.
Dhaka DocLab has organized this non-fiction storytelling workshop with the aim of increasing the participation of women filmmakers in Dhaka DocLab sessions. The opening session was held at 10am on the 22nd with the speeches of Tarek Ahmed, Director of Dhaka DocLab, Farid Ahmed, Filmmaker and Mentor, and Luva Nahid Chowdhury, Trustee of Dhaka DocLab and Director General of Bengal Foundation.
The day's activities began with the introduction of the participants and group discussions at the beginning of the workshop. The group discussion was led by Tarek Ahmed and Farid Ahmed.
Later, documentary film director Elizabeth De Costa, and documentary film director Humaira Bilkis, along with renowned film directors and producers from home and abroad, took two special sessions in this four-day workshop. Renowned documentary film producer Sara Afrin of Bangladesh and directors and producers from home and abroad took part in two special sessions.
Apart from this, there were also one-to-one sessions, pitch presentations and documentary film screenings in this four-day workshop. On the last day of the workshop, three contestants- Tayran Razzak, Chitto Anondi and Siam Shams Tusto- were awarded scholarships for the 2025 session of Dhaka DocLab based on the pitch presentations of the participating film directors. In addition, three more participating film directors- Sadia Khalid Reeti, Raka Noshin Nower and Humaira Snigdha- were awarded scholarships for the 2025 session of Dhaka DocLab as observers, and all participants were given certificates.
In her closing remarks, Luva Nahid Chowdhury, Trustee Dhaka DocLab and Director General Bengal Foundation, thanked everyone involved in organizing this workshop. She also said that we will have to think about how to organize more such events in the coming years.