Ten young filmmakers screened their debut short films on Friday at the National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. The special event, titled Neighbourhood Season 1, was organised by the collective Friendly Neighbourhood and started at 5 pm.
According to the organisers, all ten directors work full-time corporate jobs. Though they had long dreamed of making films, they struggled to do so because of time and financial issues. But refusing to give up, they teamed up with a total of 19 members and produced ten short films over several months with limited resources and strong passion.
The selected short films were: In Another World by Konok Khondokar, Telapoka by Al-Amin Hossain, Hudai Miss by Zahedul Haque, Homunculus by Ibne Noor Rakib, Soulmate by Adil Imam, Cha Chai by Sheikh Kourashani, Louk by Mahmuda Sultana, For Sale by Fazle Rabbi, On the Contrary by Imtiaz Hossain, and Ishpait by Abir Ferdous.
These films covered a range of genres including psychological stories, social satire, and absurdist comedy. Many of the stories came from the filmmakers’ own life experiences. The scripts were written during short work breaks, and most of the shooting was done on weekends.
The organisers said it was more than just a film screening. It was a grassroots initiative by first-time directors who did not wait for institutional support or formal training. They relied on teamwork and personal determination to bring their stories to life.
This was the first public screening of Neighbourhood Season 1. The organisers shared their hope to continue this platform in the future, creating more space for new and emerging filmmakers. The event remained open to all film lovers.
