Bangladeshi musician turned filmmaker Arafat Mohsin Nidhi's short film "Everything Is Nothing" has recently been selected to appear at France's prestigious Cineplay International Film Festival.

The short film has been selected to compete at the festival on January 5. After being declared as a finalist on Wednesday, it will be screened on January 15, informed Arafat Mohsin Nidhi, director of the production, to The Daily Star.

Arafat, who is ecstatic about the recognition the film received at different international film festivals, said the film was made on a limited budget, featuring his mother, Mahmuda Begum, in the lead role.

Speaking about the project, the director shared that there are only two or three dialogues in the short film, and the entire story revolves around his mother's character.

"Actually, since it is my first short film, being a finalist in such a prestigious festival feels really great. As an independent filmmaker, I feel very lucky to be a part of it.," he expressed.

"We made this film almost whimsically. Me and my team are usually packed with work, but at that time, our schedules were clear. So we decided to do something different, and we wrote the story, and screenplay and started shooting. I requested my mother to portray the character of the protagonist, she agreed, and we shot the film," he said while sharing the story behind the making of "Everything Is Nothing".

Arafat further shared that he is working on his first feature film and planning to release his second music album this year.

Cineplay International Film Festival is a prestigious cinema festival in France that encourages independent filmmakers worldwide by bringing them together through their annual competitions and screenings. 

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This film was also officially selected for the 10th Goa Short Film Festival, Alibagh Short Film Festival, Himachal Short Film Festival and International Kolkata Short Film Festival.