Bangladesh Short Film Forum
Encyclopedia
Bangladesh Short Film Forum (BSFF) is an organization of young Bangladeshi film makers. It was formed on the 24th of August, 1986 by a group of young independent filmmakers and activists who were then campaigning for creative and aesthetically rich cinema.
Most of these young filmmakers were initiated into cinema through their involvement with the film society movement in Bangladesh that began as early as in the 1960s. Short Film Forum was formed at a time when mainstream Bangladeshi cinema was dominated by crass commercialism and a network of producers-distributors-exhibitors which allowed no space for artistic or socially responsible films.
The Forum featured some of most notable young Bangladeshi film makers among its members, including Morshedul Islam
, Tanvir Mokammel
, Tareque Masud
, Tareq Shahrier, Shameem Akhter, Manjare Hasin Murad, Yasmin Kabir, Nurul Alam Atique
, Zahidur Rahim Anjan, Rashed Chowdhury, and Akram Khan.
Bangladesh Short Film Forum now has its own film center in Shahbag
, Dhaka
with an auditorium, a library, an archive and an administrative office.
The Forum is mostly noted for organizing the biennial and non-competitive International Short and Independent Film Festival. The first festival was held in 1988, and was the first festival in the Indian Sub-continent which was entirely dedicated to short films.
The Forum produced a number of short films, including One Day in Krishnanagar (53 minutes) and Dhaka 2005 (5 minutes). It organizes seminars and workshops on films and limited scale film festivals all over Bangladesh, as well as film shows in its Bangladesh Film Center in Shahbag.
Most of these young filmmakers were initiated into cinema through their involvement with the film society movement in Bangladesh that began as early as in the 1960s. Short Film Forum was formed at a time when mainstream Bangladeshi cinema was dominated by crass commercialism and a network of producers-distributors-exhibitors which allowed no space for artistic or socially responsible films.
The Forum featured some of most notable young Bangladeshi film makers among its members, including Morshedul Islam
Morshedul Islam
Morshedul Islam is a renowned film director of Bangladesh. He is a successful figure in the film industry of Bangladesh and also attached with independent filmmaking.-Biography:...
, Tanvir Mokammel
Tanvir Mokammel
Tanvir Mokammel is a Bangladeshi film director. He earned a Masters degree in English Literature at Dhaka University...
, Tareque Masud
Tareque Masud
Tareque Masud was an award-winning Bangladeshi independent film director. He was known for directing the films Muktir Gaan and Matir Moina , for which he won a number of international awards, including the International Critics' Prize and FIPRESCI Prize for Directors' Fortnight at the 2002 Cannes...
, Tareq Shahrier, Shameem Akhter, Manjare Hasin Murad, Yasmin Kabir, Nurul Alam Atique
Nurul Alam Atique
Nurul Alam Atique is a Bangladeshi television dramatist and scriptwriter, and film-maker.. Atique received the Bangladesh National Award as the best scriptwriter for the full-length feature film Kirtonkhola . He also received the Meril Prothom Alo Critic Award as the best director and best...
, Zahidur Rahim Anjan, Rashed Chowdhury, and Akram Khan.
Bangladesh Short Film Forum now has its own film center in Shahbag
Shahbag
Shahbag is a major neighbourhood and a police precinct or Thana in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. It is also a major public transport hub, and serves as a junction between two contrasting sections of the city—Old Dhaka and New Dhaka—which lie, respectively, to its north and south...
, Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
with an auditorium, a library, an archive and an administrative office.
The Forum is mostly noted for organizing the biennial and non-competitive International Short and Independent Film Festival. The first festival was held in 1988, and was the first festival in the Indian Sub-continent which was entirely dedicated to short films.
The Forum produced a number of short films, including One Day in Krishnanagar (53 minutes) and Dhaka 2005 (5 minutes). It organizes seminars and workshops on films and limited scale film festivals all over Bangladesh, as well as film shows in its Bangladesh Film Center in Shahbag.