With an aim to embrace diversity for a peaceful future, the Dhaka University Film Society (DUFS), in association with ActionAid, hosted their first international short film festival recently. The festival was organised at the Teacher Student Center (TSC). The theme of the event was cultural diversity and peace. The film festival featured screenings of 50 short films from 16 countries around the world. The films were chosen out of 116 entries. All of the films were screened in the TSC auditorium. 

The first day of the festival included a panel discussion session and film screenings. The topic of the panel discussion was “Film as a medium of spreading cultural diversity and peace”. Filmmaker Zahirul Hasan, Professor Mesbah Kamal from University of Dhaka, and Faria Chaudhuri, Deputy Director Programme, ActionAid Bangladesh, attended the panel discussion. The 1959 film Hiroshima Mon Amour, directed by Alain Resnais, was also screened on that day. 

The second day featured short film screenings as well as  the award-giving and closing ceremonies. It also featured the screening of Satyajit Ray’s Aguntuk.

The honourable guests on the second day were Asaduzzaman Noor, MP, AAMS Arefin Siddique, Moderator of Dhaka University Film Society (DUFS), actor Mamunur Rashid, Farah Kabir, Country Director of ActionAid Bangladesh and Aman Ashraf Faiz, Managing Director of GTV. 

Among the 50 short films screened at the festival, 20 were chosen for award nominations. The award categories included Best National Film, Best International Film, Best Cinematography, Best Story and Best Editing. A Flying Child, directed by Fazle Rabbi, won the Best National Film award.The Best International Film award was given to A Country in Moving Pictures, directed by Arjanmar Rebeta (Philippines). Antaraal, directed by Joy Chowdhury (Bangladesh), won the Best Cinematography award.  The Best Story award went to Landless Song of Earth, directed by Pradip Ghosh (Bangladesh), and The Best Editing award went to The Third Identity, directed by Farid Ahmed (Bangladesh).  

The call for entry for the short films began on July 4 and concluded on August 25.  Short films from Philippines, Turkey, Kosovo, India, Lebanon and the UK among others, were submitted.

The festival ended with the screenings of two short films, that were productions of the seventh film workshop by DUFS. The films were Jatragolpo and Sara Dupur.

The festival concluded on September 9.