DIMFF equips students to make one minute mobile films

The face of normal childhood; kids running around the playground, giggling with joy, making merry mirth have been lost over time.  The high rising buildings, the sky reaching concrete appearance of the city, stealing the joyful experiences of growing up from these generations. The brick-and-stone city is taking away the simple routine of the afternoon playtime on the local football field. To this new generation, these are the stories of ancient days.  Among them, the luckiest ones are growing up by listening to the words of their grandparents' childhood, knowing the history of Bangladesh; arranging and rearranging the stories in sketches and frames. Plunging into the world of imagination under house arrest in this new normal. Affan Jawad, the student of class 7, in Dhaka Residential Model College and Queen the student of 10th grade from Rajbari Government Girl's High School, have captured those imaginations on the reel and made them real. This story does not stop here, there are many more which these young adults brought to live with their 'online mobile filmmaking' learning experience. 

New generation, New tool, New communication is one of the initiatives of the Department of Media Studies and Journalism (MSJ) of the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB).  Although the world was a bit stagnant at the time of corona, the world of their imagination did not get stuck. Keeping that in mind, DIMFF took a new step under the banner of "Introduction to Mobile Filmmaking, Filmmaking for Everyone" an eight-week online course. This course will show the new generation how to express their thoughts and creativity through mobile phones.

This online course was carefully designed for students studying in sixth to twelfth or equivalent classes.  The purpose of this program was to give a comprehensive idea about filmmaking using smartphones as well as to provide experience in using modern gadgets and software.  One thousand eighty students from different parts of Bangladesh had joined it, and the journey had started with 146 selected students on Friday, July 17 at 3pm.

Instructor Syeda Sadia Mehjabin and Priyanka Chowdhury helped the students' throughout the course so that they could dream of making their first film, and share their stories to the world. At the end of this course, 60 students have submitted their movies in the "One Minute Category" to the Dhaka International Mobile Film Festival 2021. This e-learning course is coordinated by Dr. Kabil Khan, advisor of DIMFF and assistant professor of Media Studies and Journalism department. DIMFF is partnering with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) and the Aspire to innovate in Bangladesh (a2i) for this initiative.

The Closing Ceremony of the Online Mobile Filmmaking Course was celebrated on Friday, 11 September 2020, at 5 pm on Zoom platform.  MSJ Department Head Dr Jude William Genilo inaugurated the program with a warm welcome speech. Dr Dewan Md Humayun Kabir, joint secretary and joint project director, a2i and Dr. Najmul Hossain, Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF Bangladesh), among others, spoke during the session. 

Film-maker Mitali Roy, and cinematographer Tanvir Ahsan were also present to encourage and support more to our next upcoming young filmmakers. Besides that, acclaimed actor Bonna Mirza graced the event with her lively presence. Participants’ films had been screened in the ceremony. They were also given them the Course Completion Certificate.