Feature

Potential filmmakers gathered at Goethe Institut

Jamil Mahmud

One thing is clear that film is the most powerful cultural artefact that encompasses the field of art. Film is considered to be an important art form, a source of popular entertainment, and a powerful method for educating or indoctrinating citizens. In every form of art perhaps film is little bit advanced from others in many point of views. Only film can demonstrate more than one art form at one frame. It is a great chance for an individual who want to deliver his/her thinking for the society.

Young enthusiastic and potential filmmakers got such kind of chance to demonstrate their visions and build up their interaction with each other while they gathered at the two day long first ever International Inter-University Short Film Festival in Bangladesh, which was held at the Goethe Institut on June 24 & 25.

The festival titled "Inter-University Short Film Festival 2007" was arranged by Dhaka University Film Society (DUFS), with the collaboration of Goethe Institut Bangladesh and Future Shots (UK). Some 30 films from several countries were screened at the festival amongst 8 universities of Bangladesh were participated at thee festival.

According to DUFS, every year many festivals take place in our country but very few of those are film related. That is why we arranged such kind of festival so that we can bring out the thinking and reflection of the individuals by their films. It is the perfect time to introduce some talented individuals by arranging such kind of event.

On the first day of the festival 17 short films, including documentaries, animation, films addressing social issues and fiction were screened in two categories, “Our Films” and “Next Generation”. Films by young directors from different Bangladeshi universities including Dhaka University, North South University, Stamford University, Jahangirnagar University, BRAC University and AIUB, were screened in “Our Films” category.

In the “Next Generation” category, films by talented young filmmakers from different film institute of Berlin, Munich and other cities were screened.

"It is a good initiative. However, I think it should be arranged in a wider scope so that more talented filmmakers from Bangladesh can showcase their potentials," said Sami, whose film Live Like Beast was screened at the festival.

"It is easy to find out that potential filmmakers are lying beneath the university students. So it is a good initiative by DUFS that organised such kind of film festival and I want to appreciate all of them" said Evan, who's film Football..... that's all was screened at the second day of the festival.

In the second day of the festival 7 films from Bangladesh and 12 films of future shots were screened. Films from U.K., Belgium, Denmark, Sweden and France, Japan and USA were included at the future shots session.

Eminent filmmaker Soovas Dutt inaugurated the festival while another eminent filmmaker Morshedul Islam was handed over certificates and crests among the young filmmakers at the second day programme as the chief guest. Professor AAMS Arefin Siddique, moderator of DUFS and Aniket Alam, curator, Future Shots Bangladesh were the special guests.

One thing is find out through the festival that almost every filmmakers from Bangladesh kept at least one shot in their very short length films which demonstrated the cell phone use. (Most of the film's duration is between five to ten minutes). Two films ended with same conclusion that is suicide.

As the very first arrangement the DUFS just tried to realise the opinions of the filmmakers and that is why they did not keep any competition segment in this year's festival. But from the next year it will be arranged in wider scope.