BSA and Moviyana launch yearlong film festival

Moviyana Film Society and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy have launched a yearlong competitive film festival, with the title “New Films, New Filmmakers”. The announcement was made at a press conference at the seminar room of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy's National Theatre Hall on April 4.

The festival will be inaugurated in the last week of this month, and will continue till April 2016, when three awards will be given out: the Zahir Raihan Award for the best feature film, the Alamgir Kabir Award for the best documentary and the Badal Rahman Award in short animated and experimental film category. A seven-member jury, led by Syed Salauddin Zaki, comprises filmmaker Morshedul Islam, thespian Liaquat Ali Lucky, film researcher professor Fahmidul Haq, filmmaker Samir Ahmed, researcher professor Sabrina Sultana Chowdhury and artist Sabyasachi Hazra. The festival will screen new films every month, and veteran filmmakers can also take part, alongside newcomers. There are no age or format restrictions for the films. Every filmmaker can submit multiple films, but no more than one a month.

Selected films from every month's submissions will be screened on the last Friday of every month at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy's National Art Gallery auditorium at 3pm, 5pm and 7pm, and proceeds from the ticket sales will go to the filmmakers.

Two copies of the films should be submitted in DVD format within the first 10 days of this month, by filling out a form, to Room 701 of the National Theatre Hall.