National Film Grant Committee Announces Reforms

Following the ousting of the Sheikh Hasina government, several committees, including the National Film Grant Committee, have been restructured.

Previously, this committee was responsible for funding films to promote emerging and established filmmakers. The selection process involved a preliminary committee and a final script selection committee. 

However, many of the films funded in recent years remain incomplete, and most of those that were finished have been widely criticized as subpar by both audiences and critics.

To improve accountability, this year introduces three distinct committees, each overseeing a different part of the selection process. 

Additionally, a new sub-committee has been added to the existing two-tier structure.

The script selection committee comprises Dr. Shahman Shahriar, Associate Professor at Dhaka University’s Department of Theatre and Performance Studies; journalist and film critic Sadia Khalid Reeti; author and screenwriter Nazim Ud Daula; and director Masuma Rahman Tani, along with government representatives.

Once this committee selects the scripts, they will be reviewed by the film grant committee, which will choose the final recipients of the grant.

 Members of this committee include Abul Basher Md Ziaul Haque Bhuyan (Titas Zia), a lecturer at Dhaka University‍‍`s Department of Theatre and Performance Studies; filmmaker and producer Khan Sharfuddin Mohammad Akram (Akram Khan); director and screenwriter Nargis Akhter; president of the Rainbow Film Society Ahmed Muztaba Zamal; director and editor Sameer Ahmed; and actress and model Zakia Bari Mamo.

The newly established film grant sub-committee will collaborate with the other committees to ensure all criteria are met. 

Its members include Dhaka University Assistant Professor Reffat Ferdous, filmmaker and researcher Imran Firdaus, director and cinematographer Md Abid Mallick, and director Mehdi Hasan.