Young Bangladeshi filmmaker Maksud Hossain has been selected for Berlinale Talents, a prestigious platform under the Berlin International Film Festival that recognises emerging filmmakers, producers, actors, cinematographers, and industry professionals making strides in their respective fields.

This year, 201 young talents from 123 countries have been chosen from a competitive pool of 3,836 applicants. According to the official website, the selected participants will have access to all film screenings at the Berlin festival and engage in a six-day workshop, where they will learn from industry experts and expand their international network.

Maksud is the only filmmaker from Bangladesh to be selected for Berlinale Talents this year. He has been working in advertising and short film production for a long time and is also recognised as a screenwriter.

His debut feature film, "Saba", had its world premiere last year in the Discovery Programme of the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada. The film later participated in multiple festivals, including Busan and Red Sea, earning critical acclaim.

Expressing his excitement over being selected for Berlinale Talents, Maksud shared, "This is a great honour for me. It is not just about applying; the selection process also considers the kind of work a filmmaker has done. They evaluate the projects before granting someone a spot."

"This platform will provide me with the opportunity to learn from experts in the film industry while also allowing me to engage in discussions with talented filmmakers from around the world. It will help build a strong network, which I can utilise in my future projects," he added.

Filmmaker Maksud Hossain has announced that his debut film, "Saba", will have its European premiere at the Göteborg Film Festival on January 24. Following this, he will participate in the Berlin International Film Festival, scheduled to take place from February 13 to 23.

Currently, Maksud is working on the script for his next project, "Babymoon", which he plans to begin filming later this year.

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Several Bangladeshi filmmakers and industry professionals have previously been selected for Berlinale Talents, including Nargis Akhter, Kamar Ahmad Simon, Rubaiyat Hossain, Nuhash Humayun, Rezwan Shahriar Sumit, cinematographer Barket Hossain Palash, and film critic Sadia Khalid Reeti.