Bangladeshi Short Film ‘Mariyam’ Screens at Religion Today Film Festival in Italy

Bangladeshi filmmaker Chaitali Somadder’s short film Mariyam has continued its international festival journey with a screening at the Religion Today Film Festival in Italy, adding another overseas platform to a film that has already received recognition at home and abroad. The 30-minute Bengali short centres on Mariyam, a 14-year-old schoolgirl living in a village, whose life and family are devastated after she becomes the victim of sexual violence. A video of the assault is subsequently circulated online, exposing the family to social isolation and pressure from within the community. The story

From Nagaland to the Oscars: Theja Rio’s ‘Angh’ Tells the Story of a Vanishing World

A small story from the hills of Nagaland is now reaching audiences around the world. Filmmaker Theja Rio’s Angh has gained international recognition after winning the Platform Prize at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), putting the film in the spotlight during the upcoming Oscar season. (Telegraph India) Set in Nagaland during the 1960s, Angh tells the story of a Konyak village chief and his son during a time when traditional ways of life were beginning to change. The film explores the relationship between generations and shows how a community

Hollywood’s Oscar-Winning Star Susan Sarandon Arrested During Anti-Netanyahu Protest

Hollywood actors Susan Sarandon and Hannah Einbinder were among several demonstrators arrested during an anti-Netanyahu protest outside the United Nations headquarters in New York, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived to address the UN General Assembly. The demonstration brought together activists, including prominent figures from the entertainment industry, who protested against Israel’s military actions in Gaza and called for changes in US policy toward Israel. According to reports, the protest was organised by Jewish Voice for Peace, a group that has been involved in demonstrations calling for a ceasefire in

Two Bangladeshi Films Win Awards at World Film Festival Kolkata

Bangladeshi filmmaker Piplu R Khan’s feature film ‘Joya Aar Sharmin’ has achieved major international recognition by winning the Best Feature Film Award at the 5th World Film Festival Kolkata. The film received the prestigious Bimal Roy Golden Award at the festival. Another Bangladeshi production also earned recognition at the event. Director Mokbul Chowdhury’s documentary film ‘Mamun: In Praise of Shadows’ received a Jury Mention, earning special appreciation from the jury in the documentary category. The six-day international festival was organized by the Eastern Regional Branch of the Federation of Film Societies of

Film School Gave Me Grammar, Life Taught Me to See: Xoaher Musavvir

Award-winning Bangladeshi cinematographer Joaher Musavvir Jyoti is known for his work on Roid, Pressure Cooker, Jaya Aar Sharmin and A House Named Shahana. Having studied filmmaking and cinematography in Prague, he works across South Asia and Europe, bringing a distinctive sensitivity to light, landscape, atmosphere and human emotion. His work has reached international audiences through festivals including the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), SXSW London, Sitges, and Raindance. He received the Best Cinematography award for Roid at the 2026 Mosaic International Film Festival in Canada. In conversation with Md ' ...

Remembering Louis Lumière and the Dawn of Cinema

On 5 October 1864, Louis Lumière was born in Besançon, France. More than a century and a half later, his name is still closely tied to the earliest days of cinema. Together with his elder brother Auguste, Louis helped turn moving images from a technical experiment into something people could sit together and watch on a screen. The Lumière brothers grew up around photography. Their father, Antoine Lumière, was a photographer who later built a successful photographic business in Lyon. Louis showed a strong interest in the technical side of photography ' ...

Chantal Akerman and the Loneliness of Modern Life

The first time I properly watched Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, I remember wondering when I would stop noticing the time. A woman was preparing food, clearing a table, moving through her apartment, doing things that most films would either cut away from or compress into a brief montage. Nothing, at least in the conventional sense, seemed to be happening. And yet after a while I found myself watching with an odd degree of attention. A small delay mattered. A gesture felt different. Silence became uncomfortable. It ' ...