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Bangladesh the focus country at IFFI, 2021


Published : 11 Jan 2021 09:38 PM | Updated : 12 Jan 2021 01:20 AM

Bangladesh is the focus country of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), which will be held from January 16 to January 24 in a "hybrid" format.

The festival usually takes place in Goa from November 20-28 every year. Last year it was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Bangladesh is the focus country at the 51th edition of the IFFI this year, a press release issued by the Press Information Bureau said.

Four films from Bangladesh, including "Jibondhuli" and "Meghmallar" set against the backdrop of the 1971 Liberation War, will be screened at the upcoming film gala as part of the package.

Country in Focus is a special segment that recognises the cinematic excellence and contributions of the country, reports PTI.

Director Tanvir Mokammel’s ‘Jibondhuli’ is a 2014 drama feature which revolves around a drummer and his family during the 1971 War.

‘Meghmallar’, directed by Zahidur Rahim Anjan, follows an ordinary family that goes through a life-altering experience amid the conflict.

The 2014 film is an adaption of writer Akhtaruzzaman Elias' story titled "Raincoat". It was screened in the Discovery section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival.

Two more films -- "Under Construction" and "Sincerely Yours, Dhaka" -- are also part of this line-up.

"Under Construction" narrates the story of a modern Muslim woman struggling to find herself in the sprawl of urban Bangladesh.

Directed by Rubaiyat Hossain, the 2015 film stars Indian actors Shahana Goswami and Rahul Bose.

"Sincerely Yours, Dhaka" is a collection of 11 gritty shorts centred on the capital city of Bangladesh, Dhaka, and the people living on its margins.

The 2018 anthology features short segments by 11 individual directors, including Nuhash Humayun, Syed Ahmed Shawki, Rahat Rahman Joy, MD Robiul Alam, and Golam Kibria Farooki, among others.

It was selected as Bangladesh's entry for Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards.