Speakers at a seminar yesterday urged the government to patronise and provide aid for the animation industry in order to produce world-class animated movies and dramas.
Hailing the recent progress of animated movies, they called on animators and film industry stakeholder to concentrate more on animated movies and dramas.
The call came at a seminar styled “Prospects of Animation in Bangladeshi Film Industry” was organised by Dhaka University Film Society at the university’s Senate Building yesterday.
Addressing the seminar, Rezaul Karim, former director of BTV’s design section and the country’s first animator, said animated movies have a large audience around the world nowadays.
“Hollywood is gradually thriving on animation movies but we still lag behind in this category. Proper supervision and patronage from the government could play a pivotal role in the advancement of the animation industry,” he said.
Underscoring the importance of animated works in creating mass awareness, prominent cartoonist Ahasan Habib said animation movies can not only be the source of entertainment but can also spread knowledge and awareness.
He expressed dissatisfaction over the present state of animation movies in the country and stressed effective measures for its development.
Information Minister Hasanul Huq Inu said animation can provide similar pictures of substantial facts which cannot be captured in films.
He directed the Department of Television and Film Industry at Dhaka University to include courses on animation technologies to help students gain good knowledge of animation movies, dramas and arts.
He also assured of allocating adequate budget from his ministry for the advancement of the animation industry.
Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique also emphasised on animation products to obliterate social ignorance and obstacles.
Among others, professor of DU Graphic Design Department Anupom Huda, Dr Shafiul Alam Bhuyaan, chairperson of Television and Film Studies Department, Nadia Sadmani, director of Golden Harvest Agro Industries Limited, animators, filmmakers, the president and secretary general of the DUFS attended the seminar.
An award giving ceremony was also held at the end of the seminar where several children were given prizes.
The DUFS have been arranging festivals of animated films since 2005. At this year’s festival from November 3 to 7, at least 20 world famous animated movies were screened.
