‘Ali’ by Adnan Al Rajib selected for Toronto International Film Festival

After receiving special recognition at the Cannes International Film Festival, filmmaker Adnan Al Rajib’s short film “Ali” has now been selected for the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). On Friday afternoon, Adnan shared the news in a Facebook post, announcing that the film has been chosen for the festival’s Shorts Competition section.

In his post, Adnan expressed his joy at being part of TIFF’s 50th edition, saying, “It is a great honor for us to be included in the festival’s 50th year. I sincerely thank the festival’s selection committee for warmly accepting our film.”

The 50th edition of the festival will open on September 5 and run until September 14. Speaking to Prothom Alo on the same day, Adnan said he and his team will fly to Toronto on September 5. Accompanying him will be the film’s executive producer Habibur Rahman, cinematographer Kamrul Hasan Khosru, and art director Shihab Nurun Nabi.

Earlier this year, in May, “Ali” received a Special Mention in the Short Film category at the 78th Cannes Film Festival. It was then selected for the 73rd Melbourne International Film Festival, which runs from August 7 to 24.

The film tells the story of a coastal town where women are forbidden from singing. A young boy from this town participates in a singing competition with hopes of leaving for the city. However, there is a mystery surrounding his singing. The lead role of Ali is played by Al Amin, a native of Noakhali, with Indrani Soma playing his mother.

The screenplay was written by Filipino filmmakers Arvin Belarmino and Kayla Romero. The main production company is Catalog, founded last year by Adnan Al Rajib, Tanvir Hossain, Christine D. Leon, and Arvin Belarmino.

Adnan shared that he has been working in drama, commercials, and films for 18 years. The 15-minute film was shot in December last year over five consecutive days in various locations in Sylhet.

Regarding the film’s release in Bangladesh, Adnan said they plan to take “Ali” to international festivals first and aim to release it domestically about a year later.