The Film and Photography Club (FPC) of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) at the University of Asia Pacific (UAP) organised a two-day photography and film festival titled “Lumen Season 1”, bringing together students, faculty members and photography enthusiasts from universities across Bangladesh.

The festival was held at UAP Central Plaza on 28–29 October 2026, featuring photography exhibitions, film screenings and creative competitions aimed at promoting visual storytelling, artistic expression and collaboration among university photography clubs, according to the press release.

The programme ran from 10am to 4pm on both days, attracting participants and visitors from UAP and other educational institutions.

The festival aimed to bring photography and film enthusiasts from different universities onto a common platform, encourage creative expression through visual storytelling and strengthen cooperation and knowledge-sharing among university photography clubs.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Prof Dr Nasima Begum, head of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering; Shammi Akhtar, assistant professor of CSE and convener of FPC; and Prof Dr Shah Murtaza Rashid Al Masud and Prof Dr Aloke Kumar Saha, both from the Department of CSE.

Dr Homeyra Akter and Dr Subhra Prosun Paul, assistant professors of CSE, were also present at the ceremony.

A major attraction of the festival was a photography exhibition at UAP Central Plaza, featuring three categories – DSLR/SLR Photography, Mobiography and UAP Diary.

The DSLR/SLR Photography category showcased photographs captured using professional cameras, while Mobiography highlighted creative photography using mobile phones.

The UAP Diary segment featured photographs depicting campus life and activities within and around the university.

More than 600 photographs were submitted by students from UAP and 30 other universities, making the festival one of the club’s most widely participated photography events.

The photographs were evaluated by Akhter Hasan, who served as a judge for the exhibition.

Alongside the photography exhibition, several interactive booth activities were organised on both days, providing visitors with opportunities to participate in recreational and creative activities.

The festival also featured two campus-based photography competitions – “Photo Hunt Season 2” and “Colour Hunt Season 1”.

In “Photo Hunt Season 2”, participants competed in teams of two, completing photography-related challenges within the campus.

Meanwhile, “Colour Hunt Season 1” was an individual competition in which participants were given six colours and a specified time limit to locate and photograph them.

Participants were evaluated based on the speed and quality of their photographs.

The festival also featured an online reel-making competition titled “My Campus in 30 Seconds”, encouraging students to present their campus experiences through short videos.

At the prize-giving ceremony, champions, first runners-up and second runners-up were recognised in each of the DSLR/SLR Photography, Mobiography and UAP Diary categories.

Winners of “Photo Hunt Season 2”, “Colour Hunt Season 1” and “My Campus in 30 Seconds” were also honoured for their achievements.

The prize-giving ceremony was attended by Shammi Akhtar, assistant professor of CSE and convener of FPC, and Md Mubtasim Fuad, lecturer of CSE and co-convener of FPC.

The festival also featured film screenings at the UAP Auditorium, where four films were shown over two days.

On the first day, “Train to Busan” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” were screened, with both shows attracting full audiences.

The second day featured screenings of “Monpura” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home”, with free admission for all attendees.

Established in 2017, the Film and Photography Club of UAP’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering has organised eight seasons of “The View Finder”, eight photography exhibitions and eight photowalks, alongside other activities such as “Photo Adda”.

The club introduced “Lumen” to expand its activities and create a broader platform for photography and filmmaking enthusiasts.

“Lumen Season 1” marked the beginning of this initiative, providing opportunities for students to showcase their creativity, exchange experiences and develop professional networks.

The festival received support from 15 partner clubs and institutions, including Jagannath University Photographic Society (JnUPS), Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP), Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET), Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET), Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Maritime University.

Other partners included Bangladesh University of Business and Technology (BUBT) Photography Club, Southeast University, Northern University Bangladesh, Army IBA Sylhet (AIBAPS), Dhaka Polytechnic Institute, International University of Business Agriculture and Technology (IUBAT), LenScape, UAP Photography Club and Lens and Literary.

The organisers also expressed appreciation to the festival’s media partners for their coverage and support.

By bringing together photographers and photography clubs from different educational institutions, “Lumen Season 1” provided young photography enthusiasts with opportunities to develop networks, exchange ideas and experiences, and explore future collaboration.

The organisers hope the initiative will continue to promote creative expression, visual storytelling and cooperation among young photographers and filmmakers across Bangladesh.