‘West Meets East Screenplay Lab’ finalists for DIFF announced

The names of the finalists for the 'West Meets East Screenplay Lab' were announced yesterday, says a press release. Selected after careful deliberation of a five-member international jury board, the lab, which will take place from January 16-19, 2022, as a part of the 20th Dhaka International Film Festival (DIFF), is set to host promising film-makers from all over South Asia.

The jurors, who will also mentor the finalists, include Berlinale's South Asia delegate Meenakshi Shedde (India), film festival programmer Hannah Fisher (Canada) and film festival programmers and producer Meral Duran (France), director-producer Abu Shahed Emon (Bangladesh), and art and film critic Moinuddin Khaled (Bangladesh). 

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The selected finalists are Kiran Pokharel for "Putali Ko Sapna"(Nepal), Tanha Zafreen for "Jolchhobi" (Bangladesh), Gaurav Madan for "Kanda Vanda"( India), Tasmiah Afrin Mou for "Fear-y-Tale"(Bangladesh), "Royal Sadat" for "The Forgotten History"(Afghanistan), Jamayang Jangtsho Wangchuk for "White Gold" (Bhutan), Proshoon Rahmaan for "Distant Neighbour" (Bangladesh), Shajedul Islam for "Camera Kids" (Bangladesh), Rajny Basumatary for "Wild Swans" (India), Rafiqul Anwar Russel for "The Dreams Far Away" (Bangladesh) and Malaka Nilwala for "Heli-The Daughter" (Sri Lanka).

All 11 of these projects will be mentored at the lab and pitched at the Film Hut at DIFF where film producers and distributors, including OTT representatives, will be present to bid. The top three filmmakers will be awarded USD 5,000, USD 3,000, and USD 2,000, respectively.

The jurors were overwhelmed by the quality of the projects and wish to congratulate not only the winners but also the projects that could not be selected. These projects hold immense potential in terms of story and visuals, they mentioned in their deliberation.

Co-convenors of West Meets East, Aka Reza Ghalib, and Sadia Khalid Reeti will oversee the screenplay lab and South Asian film market- Film Hut.

This is the fourth edition of West Meets East and the first edition of Film Hut where prominent film personalities from all over the world gather to exchange knowledge, network, and collaborate on meaningful projects that aim to eliminate cultural barriers.

DIFF, organised by Rainbow Film Society, started its journey in 1977. The festival is the largest film festival in Bangladesh that welcomes around 200 films and over 100 foreign delegates each year. The 20th Dhaka International Film Festival will take place from January 15-23, 2022.