‘Dour’ Selected for ADFA Short Fest

DHAKA — Short film Dour, directed by emerging filmmaker Md. Moniruzzaman, has been selected for the first season of ADFA Short Fest following a multi-stage evaluation process that shortlisted five projects from 173 submissions.

Moniruzzaman, a filmmaker, poet and singer also known as Russell Jayedi, told The Shuttle Times that shooting for Dour is scheduled to begin in Habiganj next month.

The film will explore the lives of human beings from ancient times, Moniruzzaman said, describing the project as an opportunity to bring his storytelling vision to the screen.

“I will put all my efforts and draw on my experience in advertising, filmmaking and storytelling to make Dour the best film possible,” he said.

Moniruzzaman said he aims to make the short film meet international standards and hopes the experience will help him develop a pathway towards producing films for international audiences while contributing to Bangladesh’s growing film industry.

The selection marks an important step in the development of Dour, which will now move towards production as part of the inaugural season of ADFA Short Fest.

Another five selected projects are The Knot by Naser Hasib Siddiqui, Patar Nishwash by Ahsabul Yamin Reyad, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) by Mujibur Rahman Khan, known as Kaify and Parul by Siam Talukder.

The selected filmmakers will now work with mentors assigned by ADFA to further develop their stories and screenplays. The next stages will include screenplay finalisation, storyboarding, visual treatment, production design, casting and production planning before filming begins.

ASSEN is providing a total production fund of Tk 25 lakh for the five short films, while ADFA will offer creative guidance and production support throughout the development and filmmaking process.

“This initiative is not just about selecting five stories. We wanted to build a process where a good idea can evolve into a full-fledged film through proper development, mentorship, and production support,” ADFA said in a statement.

“Five stories have been selected out of 173. Now begins the most crucial phase—transforming those stories into cinema,” the statement added.

The first season of ADFA Short Fest seeks to establish a structured pathway for short film projects, connecting promising ideas with professional mentorship and production resources. The success of the initiative will ultimately depend on how the selected stories develop into completed films and reach audiences.