It was nothing short of a miracle that the 23rd Dhaka International Film Festival was held this year amid such a volatile political climate. The budget was axed, costs went up and foreign guests from certain countries were uncertain of possible travel restrictions. But where there’s a will, there’s a way and between January 11 and 19, DIFF made a spectacle of what we can achieve with unwavering determination.
The 23rd edition of this longest running film festival in Bangladesh featured 203 films from 75 countries, which were screened across five venues in Dhaka. The festival welcomed about fifty international delegates, half of the usual number. The Bollywood stars may not have graced the venues this time, but that didn’t deter the audiences from swarming around the festival’s many events.
Some, not all, of the biggest attractions of the festival usually take place outside of the theatres. The West Meets East Screenplay Lab, one of the country’s most sought-after script competitions, couldn’t be organized this year due to budget shortage. But the other regular events of the festival, such as the two-day ‘Women in Cinema Conference’ conducted by yours truly and Masterclass, hosted by film critic Bidhan Ribeiro, were held like any other year.
The Wide-Angle Section was dedicated to Chinese cinema to celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations between China and Bangladesh. There were two grand exhibitions organized as a part of the festival, one at Le Gallerie at Alliance Francaise comprised of paintings of some of the country’s most renowned painters and the other at the National Museum’s main auditorium corridor showcasing Chinese film posters.
At the end of the nine days of celebrating cinematic excellence, the festival closed with the National Film Grant winning film ‘Boli’, directed by Iqbal Hossain Chowdhury. The film previously won the Best Film Award at the 28th Busan International Film Festival. Like in the case of most of the Bengali films screened at the festival, the auditorium was full to the brim with audiences.
In the Children’s Film Section, the Badal Rahman Award went to the Russian film ‘Where the White Cranes Dance’, directed by Mikhail Lukashevsky. ‘The Guardian of Honor’, a Filipino film by Joselito Altarejos won the Special Audience Award. The Best Audience Award went to ‘Padatik’ by Srijit Mukherjee. In the Female Filmmakers Section, the Special Mention Award was jointly given to ‘Moldova’, directed by Klavdiya Korshunova, and ‘Not Just Any Day’, a joint production from Russia. The Best Short Film Award in this section went to ‘Scarlet’, a Bulgarian film by Maria Bobeva. ‘Kumva, Ce Qui Vient Du Silence’, a French film by Sarah Mallegol, bagged the Best Feature Film Award. Agustina Xavier won the Best Director Award for ‘Our Own Shadow’, an Argentina-Germany co-production. In the Spiritual Film Section, the Best Short Film Award was given to ‘Monte Clerigo’, a Portuguese film by Luis Campos. The Special Mention in this section was awarded to the Indian film ‘In the Name of Fire’, directed by Abhilash Sharma. ‘The Alien’, a Russian film directed by Ivan Sosnin won the Best Feature Film Award in this category
In the most competitive section of the festival, the Asian Film Competition Section, Best Screenwriter Award went to Takato Nishi and Noriko Yuasa for their Japanese film ‘Performing Kauru’s Funeral’. Turkish cinematographer Dilsat Kenan secured the Best Cinematography Award for ‘When the Walnut Leaves Turn Yellow’, Diman Jandi won the Best Actress Award for her role in ‘Melody’, an Iranian-Tajikistan co-production, and Ryan Sarlak won the Best Actor Award for the Iranian film ‘Summer Time’, directed by renowned Iranian filmmaker and cinematographer Mahmood Kalari. Kalari also received a Special Mention Award for Best Director for his work on ‘Summer Time’. Chinese filmmakers Haofeng Zhu and Junfeng Zhu jointly won the Best Director Award for their film ‘100 Yards’. ‘Sunday’, a Uzbekistani film directed by Shokir Kholikov, bagged the Best Film Award in this section
In the Bangladesh Panorama Talent Section, three short films received awards- ‘Poitrik Bhita’, directed by Mobarak Hossain, was the second runner-up, while ‘Fulera Poshak Pore Na’ by Asif Hamid won the first runner-up position. The FIPRESCI award for Best Short Film went to ‘A Lazy Noon’, directed by Manon Muntaka. The most anticipated award of the festival, the Best Feature Film Award went to ‘Priyo Maloti’, directed by Shankha Dasgupta.
The festival ended with the festival director, Ahmed Muztaba Zamal, announcing the dates for the 24th Dhaka International Film Festival- January 10-18, 2026. DIFF promises to bounce back with the fourth edition of West Meets East Screenplay Lab next year, alongside all the regular sections. Continuing its journey through rough terrains, DIFF has time and again proved to be a testament to the power of fortitude and resilience.
Sadia Khalid
© FIPRESCI 2025