Jayanta Chattopadhyay starrer ‘Darkak’ selected in three int'l film festivals

Bangladeshi director Zayed Siddiki's short film "Darkak" (Raven) has been selected for three notable film festivals in three different countries.

The short film stars the Ekushey Padak-winning actor Jayanta Chattopadhyay in the lead role, along with distinguished actors Aminur Rahman Mukul, Iqbal Hossain, Tuntuni Sobhan, Fazlul Haque, Tahua Labib Tura, and ABM Saeedul Haque.

The short film will be screened at the 15th Indian Film Festival of Melbourne in Australia in August and September, the 10th Shimla International Film Festival in India, and the 13th DC South Asian Film Festival in the United States.

The news was confirmed through a press note, and the director also posted on his social handle regarding his film's selection in the mentioned festivals. He wrote, "Despite a hard time, transition, and new beginning and being hesitant to share personal accolades; I'm happy to share that our recent short 'Raven' has been selected in 3 notable diaspora festivals. Thanking all the cast and crew."

The short film has been selected as one of only 12 projects at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. It will be available exclusively to Australian audiences on the festival's online platform IFFM365 from August 15 to 30.

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Meanwhile, from August 16 to 18, the short film will compete for the Best International Short Film Award at the Shimla International Film Festival, held at the historic Gaiety Theatre Complex in Shimla, India. Additionally, the film will compete for the Best Short Jury and Audience Awards at the DC South Asian Film Festival, which will be held from September 13 to 15 in Washington, DC, USA. After the screening at the festival, the film will be available on the festival's online platform Eventine from September 16 to 30, exclusively for the viewers of the USA.

Inspired by a short story by renowned author Shahidul Zahir, the dialogue and screenplay of this short film were written by the director, Zayed Siddiki.

The short film has so far been selected for nine film festivals in seven countries. These include the 17th Bangladesh International Short and Independent Film Festival 2024, the 12th Indo-German Film Week 2024 in Berlin, the 7th South Asian Short Film Festival 2024 in Kolkata, and the Round the Frame Film Competition 2024 in India.