At a press briefing held on February 6 at a restaurant in Dhaka, the organisers said that this year about 120 films from 55 participating countries will be screened at the festival. Renowned filmmakers from different countries are expected to attend the festival.

Beginning this year, BFFS is introducing 'Academic Delegate Cards'. Five hundred cards will be issued in exchange of Taka 100 registration fee among students of Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Department of Theatre and Music and Department of International Relations of Dhaka University, International Language Institute, Department of Drama and Dramatics of Jahangirnagar University, Film and Media department of Stamford University and members of Bangladeshi film societies. The cards will enable film enthusiasts to enjoy about 65 films to be screened at Shaheed Zia Auditorium, National Museum and Shawkat Osman Auditorium, Central Public Library. More information on the 'Academic Delegate Card' can be obtained from www.iffb.us.

Films are categorised in several sections such as International Showcase, International Competition, Retrospective and Focus. This year the focus of the festival is Palestinian films. Noted Palestinian filmmakers have been offering some quality films even in the midst of political turmoil and discouraging environment.

One of the major attractions in the 'Focus' section is Director Hany Abu-Assad's brilliant film Paradise Now, about two childhood friends who get recruited for a suicide bombing mission in Tel Aviv. The film received the award for best foreign language film at the Golden Globes 2006. Two other films by Abu-Assad -- Rana's Wedding, Ford Transit as well as Haifa, Curfew, Ticket to Jerusalem by internationally acclaimed director Rashid Masharawi and Tale of Three Jewels, Canticle of the Stone by Michel Khleifi will be screened at the festival.