The 11th Dhaka International Mobile Film Festival 2025 held its press conference on Thursday, February 20, at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh’s permanent campus.
The 11th Dhaka International Mobile Film Festival 2025, powered by Star Cineplex, will occur on February 22 and 23. It will bring together filmmakers from 28 countries to showcase their talents and creativity. Of the 117 films submitted, 27 have been selected for exhibition across four categories: Open Door, Short Film, Vertical Film, and One Minute. The festival will occur on February 22 at ULAB Campus A, Dhanmondi, and February 23 at STAR Cineplex, Shimanto Shambhar.
The selected films in the One-Minute category include Way Out by Khoirom Anik and In Front of Me by Md. Rakibul Hosan Razon. The Vertical Film category, reserved for films shot in a vertical orientation, will award the winner with the DIMFF Best Vertical Film award. The selected films in this category are The Interview by Michael James Parks, Sundari—A Lost Soul by Zeeshan J, and A Short: Journey by Md. Rahatud Zaman Ranggon, Limbus by M. C. Jonet, and UPLOAD by Adam George.
The Open Door category, open to all filmmakers, will grant the DIMFF Best Film Award. The selected films in this category include Message by Saeed Moltaji, Lulu in Turin by Ian Charles Lister, Hope by Arshia Zeinali, Demon Dog by Juliana Purnell, The Red Market by Christopher Matthew Spencer, and Whispers of Despair by Iftiar Ahmad Akib.
The theme of the 11th DIMFF 2025 is “Ektara.” This year, DIMFF is powered by Star Cineplex, with print and online media partners The Business Standard and Samakal. Its online media partner is Dhaka Post, while TV media partners include Deepto TV, Maasranga TV, and Channel 24. The Inquest and Gleam are digital media partners, and Deepto Play and TBS Graduates serve as screening partners. The festival’s youth engagement partner and wellness partner are Luminous Group.
The festival will officially begin on February 22 at 11:00 AM, and the closing ceremony will occur on February 23 at 6:30 PM. The festival will have three screening sessions, including a Special Screening on ‘Female Narrative in Silent Cinema’ on February 21 at 6:00 PM.
Students from various departments of ULAB are organizing the festival. Throughout the year, DIMFF conducted mobile filmmaking workshops in partnership with UNHCR, where students from different universities participated. Out of 90 team applications, five teams were selected for the final stage of the workshop. Participants included AIUB, DIU, BRAC University, ULAB, and Shanto-Mariam University of Creative Technology students. The workshop concluded with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between DIMFF and UNHCR, marking a significant milestone in their collaboration.
The jury board for the 11th edition of DIMFF consists of two groups. Renowned Bangladeshi director Taneem Rahman Angshu will evaluate films in the Open Door and Vertical Film categories, while acclaimed Hollywood director and writer Richard Greenwood Jr. will judge films in the One Minute and Short Film categories. The selection of finalists has now been completed.
The Festival Director, Hosain Ahmed Hasibul Hoque, Festival Coordinator S M Rahnuma Apshara, and PR Manager Md Samiuzzaman were present at the press conference to provide further insights into the festival.
The Dhaka International Mobile Film Festival continues to be a dedicated platform for promoting mobile filmmaking and celebrating creativity in the digital age. Now in its eleventh year, the festival carries the tagline “New Generation, New Tools, New Communication” and is driven by a dedicated team working tirelessly to make it a success.