Dhaka International Youth Film Festival 2020 is going to start for the first time in the capital. It will start today and will continue till July 31.
The lifetime achievement award is being given to the best filmmaker Syed Salahuddin Zaki. The festival is organized by Step for Cinema.
According to the organizers, Syed Salahuddin Zaki is a good filmmaker. He won the Bangladesh National Film Award for his 1980 film Ghuddi. He has also made outstanding contributions to the country’s cinema. So they want to enrich the event by honoring him.
Meanwhile, keeping in mind the issue of global lockdown and hygiene, all the activities of the festival are limited to online platforms.
Festival chairperson Ananya Ruma said, “656 films from 45 countries have been submitted to this year’s festival. From there, 58 films from 24 countries have been nominated.”
Apart from the competition, there are several other events in the festival. Festival director Dipanto Raihan said, “Out of the selected films, awards will be given in the categories of Best Film, Best Director, Best Experimental Film, Best Bengali Film, Best Cinematography, Best Actor-Actress, Best Ambient Music and Best Editing.”
During the festival, there will be an open discussion on New Normal Time’s film and film journalism on Facebook Live.
He said that producer Shamim Akhter, Golam Rabbani Biplob, Mezbauer Rahman Sumon, journalist Rezanur Rahman and many others will take part in the discussion.
The festival will be judged by young Bangladeshi filmmakers Shahnewaz Kakoli, Mahadi Hasan, music director SI Tutul and seven other film directors from India, Nepal, Iran, Canada, North Macedonia and Turkey.
The festival will run from 3 pm to 8 pm every day. Apart from screening the film, all the events can be seen on the Facebook page of Step for Cinema, DSP, Banglamail, Chintashil, Friday Theater and Tourist Club Bangladesh.
