The 16th edition of nine-day long Dhaka International Film Festival (DIFF) began on Friday which will continue till January 20.
Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith inaugurated the festival at Bangladesh National Museum (BNM) in the city. Rainbow Film Society organised the festival with the assistance of foreign ministry.
Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam addressed the inaugural function as special guests with festival arrange committee chairman Kishowar Kamal in the chair.
DIFF Director Ahmed Mujtaba Jamal and committee member M Hamid, among others, spoke.
This year, the festival will have screening 216 films from 64 countries including Bangladesh under several sections included Asian Competition, Retrospective, Bangladesh Panorama, Cinema of the World, Children’s Films, Spiritual Films, Women Filmmakers, and Short and Independent Films.
A total of 15 films from different parts of Asia are competing in the Asian Competition, where a five-member international jury will award prizes in six categories. The films will be screened at the main auditorium of BNM and Public Library Auditorium.
The retrospective section this year will feature films by two French women directors – Julie Bertuccelli and C,line Sciamma. Some seven films by the filmmakers will be screened at the Alliance Francaise de Dhaka (AFD).
The Bangladesh Panorama section has been re-instated to this year’s festival, as a representation of mainstream Bangladeshi cinema. A FIPRESCI jury will award the best film and best director in this category. The films will be screened at public library, and include titles such as “Swatta”, “Bhuban Majhi”, “Halda” and “Khacha”.
