Two Bangladeshi films shine at NFDC Film Bazaar
The International Film Festival of India (IFFI)'s commercial wing, Film Bazaar, has become a popular platform for South Asian filmmakers and producers. Numerous films find international co-producers and artistic collaborators each year through this market. International distributors and festival programmers also keep a close watch on the film projects presented here.
Organised by India's National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), the Film Bazaar rewards the top three projects with cash prizes of US $20,000—approximately Tk 25 lakh.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Recently, the list of selected films for Film Bazaar was revealed, featuring 21 projects from seven countries. Among the chosen scripts is a project from the renowned Indian producer of "Baahubali," and more significantly, two Bangladeshi films have also made the cut — "Roid" and "Divine Chords."
Directed by Mejbaur Rahman Sumon, "Roid" is produced by Tanvir Hossain and Shimul Chandra Bishwas. The film tells the mysterious story of a lonely man who marries a mentally unstable woman, only to be caught in a cycle of perplexing events.
On the other hand, "Divine Chords," directed by Talat Ahmed, is produced by Adnan Imtiaz Ahmed and Jonaki Bhattacharya. The film explores the brief but poignant encounter between a mechanic and a domestic worker, as they face a fleeting moment of hope for a better life.
The 55th International Film Festival of India is set to take place from November 20 to 28. As part of the event, the 18th edition of the Film Bazaar will be held at the Goa Marriott Resort from November 20 to 24.
This year, a total of 29 projects from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Australia, the UK, Germany, and Hong Kong were selected for the market, including 21 feature films and 8 streaming series.
Out of 180 feature films from 23 countries, only 21 were selected, showcasing a rich linguistic diversity, with films in Hindi, English, Assamese, Tamil, Marwari, Bengali, Malayalam, Punjabi, Nepali, Marathi, Pahari, and Cantonese.
The selection process begins with the submission of scripts following specific guidelines. Once selected, the filmmakers must pitch their projects to producers, detailing their story and production plans. If the producers are satisfied, they join the project.
Aside from securing producers or distributors, Film Bazaar projects often gain access to various international film festivals. The Film Bazaar organisers provide comprehensive support for these films to gain international exposure.
Notably, since 2007, NFDC's Film Bazaar has helped numerous South Asian projects gain visibility among international producers. In 2010, the co-production market expanded to include projects from neighbouring South Asian countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, and Bhutan.
Bangladeshi filmmakers have consistently made their mark at Film Bazaar. In 2010, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki's "Television" and Golam Rabbani Biplob's "Tune of Silence" were selected, followed by Rubaiyat Hossain's "Diary of a Housewife" in 2011, Farooki's "Biscuit Dour" in 2012, "No Land's Man" in 2014, and more recently, Rezwan Shahriar Sumit's "Nonajoler Kabbo" (The Salt in Our Waters) and Abu Shahed Emon's "Apodartho" (A Foolish Man) in 2016.
Taneem Rahman Angshu's "Badhonhin" (Free) and Amit Ashraf's "Omni" were selected in 2017, followed by Rezwan Shahriar Sumit's "A New Prophet" in 2018, Mahdi Hassan's "Sand City" and Arifur Rahman & Bijon Imtiaz's "Eka" in 2019.
In 2020, Nuhash Humayun's "Moving Bangladesh" made the list, followed by Maksud Hossain's "Safa" and Tanha Jafrin's "Jolchobi" in 2021. Last year, Golam Muntakim's "Khekshiyal" (The Jackal) and Maksud Hossain's "Raya's Wedding" were selected.
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