ULAB to host 6th Dhaka International Mobile Film Festival

While passing by the under the constructed building of University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) permanent campus, a boy with dice in his hand was taking pictures. My inquisitive mind wanted to know about the dice. The boy who was taking the photos was Riaz Uddin. He is the festival director of Dhaka International Mobile Film Festival (DIMFF) 2020. So, I went up to him to know more. 

"I am taking this picture to promote DIMFF," said Riaz. 

I could not hold back my curiosity to ask the reason behind holding that dice, and he responded: "Since this is the 6th edition of DIMFF, we decided to symbolize it with a dice." 

This mobile film-making competition was first organized in 2015 by an apprenticeship program of ULAB named Cinemascope. At first, the competition was between the students of Cinemascope; later on, it was open to all ULAB students. In the year 2017, it began at an international level. Now, film-makers from different parts of the world can be a part of this competition, Riaz told me. 

While we were having this conversation, Rabiul Haque joined us. He is the chief executive officer of the festival. In our discussion, he added that, like every year, they have three categories: Screening, Competition and One Minute. The best film from Competition category will get Cinemascope Best Film award. Besides that, the best film from One Minute category will get ULAB Young Film-maker award. The submission date for this year's DIMFF was from April 1 to October 31, 2019. Around 41 countries participated, and 202 films were submitted in the 6th edition of DIMFF. Last year, it was 95 films from 34 countries. 34 of those films were from Bangladesh.

This year, the jury panel will be chaired by Arifur Rahman. His interest in film-making grew while studying at Jahanginagar University. Recently, he just finished the graduation program from Busan Asian Film School on Film Producing in 2019. In 7th Chicago South Asian Film Festival, his first feature production Kingdom of Clay Subjects received Best Film award in 2016. 

Alongside narrative fiction, Arifur Rahman displays his passion for producing documentaries. He has worked in collaboration with BBC, Scottish Documentary Institute, Bangladesh Documentary Council, and NHK TV. His documentary project Beyond the wave: Bangladeshi Surf Girls has won the Best Pitch Award in Colors of Asia, Tokyo Docs in 2015. 

There is also Sadia Khalid Reeti in the jury panel, who was in the Fipresci jury of 72nd Cannes Film Festival, 24th International Film Festival of Kerala and 16th Dhaka International Film Festival. She is a screenwriting graduate from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the Showtime Editor of Dhaka Tribune. She also teaches films at ULAB, Pathshala, Shilpakala and Bangladesh Films and Television Institute (BCTI). She was also a judge of Religion Today Film Festival of Italy, Siliguri Shorts and Documentary Film Festival, and Human Rights Film Festival of Nepal. 

Devaki Bist from Nepal, who is a journalist by profession,  is also part of the jury panel. In search of Devaki is one of her significant works. She has bagged awards like Young Creative Leader Better for All in the year 2018 in Economic Forum of Delhi, and Woman Video Maker of the Year 2019 from We Will Rise foundation. 

Cinemascope has been inspiring mobile film-making by organizing this event with the slogan "New generation, new tool, new communication." The adviser of this festival is Mohammad Shazzad Hossain. 

"We aim to spread a message to the young generation that it is possible to make a film with your phone without any cost,” he said. “Hence we organize Dhaka International Mobile Film Festival (DIMFF) every year."

The curtain for Dhaka International Mobile Film Festival 2020 will rise on February 28 and close the following day.