Dhaka International Film Fest kicks off today

The 21st Dhaka International Film Festival (DIFF) is going to kick off in the capital today.

The nine-day fest will continue till January 22.

The fest will begin with the screening of the Bangladeshi film ‘JK 1971’, directed by Fakrul Arefin Khan.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen will inaugurate the festival as chief guest at the main auditorium of Bangladesh National Museum at 4:00pm.

Prime Minister’s Private Industries and Investment Adviser Salman F Rahman will join the inaugural ceremony as the special guest, with State Minister for Foreign Affairs and DIFF chief patron Shahriar Alam in chair.

A total of 252 films from 71 countries will be screened at the festival. Among them, 129 are full-length feature films and 123 are short and independent films.

Bangladesh will be represented at the festival through 81 films, including 12 full-length feature films and 69 short and independent films.

Films will be screened at the Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib auditorium (main auditorium) and Poet Sufia Kamal auditorium of the Bangladesh National Museum, National Art Gallery auditorium, Nandan Theatre open ground and Jatiya Sangeet and Nrityakala auditorium of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA), Star Cineplex (Bashundhara City) and Alliance Francaise de Dhaka (Dhanmondi) in the capital.

The films will be screened under nine categories – Asian cinema competition section, retrospective, wide angle, Bangladesh panorama, cinema of the world, children’s films, women filmmakers, short and independent films and spiritual films.

The 21st DIFF will also feature the Ninth Dhaka International Conference on Women in Cinema 2023 at the Samson Lounge, Dhaka Club, from January 15 to 16 and West Meets East: Screenplay Lab from January 15 to 18 at Alliance Francaise de Dhaka.