Shah Newaz Khan Cju's 'Not a Fiction' got its second Oscar qualifying selection at the 19th Tasveer Film Festival and Market 2024. The event will be held in Seattle, Washington DC, from October 15-20, 2024, and feature 110 films from 11 countries.
The organisers will launch Tasveer Film Market (TFM), North America's first-ever global film market dedicated to South Asian filmmakers, with its latest edition. With a focus on expanding the reach and fostering collaboration, the market initiative will host events such as the co-production market, Tasveer film fund pitches (supported by Netflix), industry panels and networking sessions.
‘Not a Fiction’ will make its Seattle premiere at SIFF Cinema Uptown on October 18 and compete for the Tasveer Audience Choice and Jury Award for short narrative, which is an Oscar qualifying category of this festival.
‘Not a Fiction’ is based on the extrajudicial killings in Bangladesh and is known for its one-shot format.
When asked about the film Cju said, “Over the last year, I've had a lot of questions about why I'm not screening this film in Bangladesh. However, only those close to me are aware of how I made this film on such a sensitive topic as extrajudicial killings under the fascist Hasina’s regime. Even after it got selected for the Oscar qualifying festival in Silicon Valley, none of us dared to talk publicly about the film for fear of being disappeared and imprisoned in ‘Aaynaghor’ by law enforcement agencies.”
Tasveer is the only Oscar qualifying South Asian film festival in the world and Cju will walk the Tasveer red carpet alongside Payal Kapadia (All We Imagine as Light), Amitabh Bacchan, Babil Khan, Pooja Kaul (The Umesh Chronicles) and other stars from South Asian Industry and participate in Q&A session, panel discussions and one-on-one meetings with Hollywood industry leaders which is aimed at promoting collaboration and advancing projects within the South Asian landscape.
Before this, 'Not a Fiction' had its first Oscar®-qualifying premiere at the Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival 2024 in Silicon Valley, United States. It also had its world premiere at the 23rd Hamilton International Film Festival, 2023, in Canada, and New Brunswick premiere at the Silver Wave Film.
Today, September 15 it had its Turkish premiere at the Golden Bridge Istanbul Short Film Festival and Moldova premiere at Serbest International Film Festival 2024 as a semi-finalist.
Film critic and screenwriter Sadia Khalid Reeti has co-produced this film with Shah Newaz Khan Cju. The cast includes Udoyon Rajib, Naymul Alam Mishu, Rudroneel Ahmed, Oishik Sami Ahmed, Zawad Soudho, and Mithun.
Ripon Nath and Rony Sazzad worked as sound designers, Rashaduzzaman Shohag as colorist, Syed Saif Uddin Ahmed as executive producer, MD Abul Kasem as line producer, LeonRozario and Tanvir Ahmed Rony as editors, and MD Aman Khan as Chief Assistant Directors on "Not A Fiction”.
MUBI, an internationally recognized OTT platform, has featured the film in its collections.
