Bangladeshi fashion film ‘Mood Swing’ awarded at Berlin Film Festival

Bangladesh is universally known for its garments industry. Director Zahidul Alam Khan's fashion-film, "Mood Swing" puts this industry under a new lens of observation. Quite recently, the film was screened at the Berlin Fashion Film Festival.

This festival is amongst the biggest international film festival in Europe. Held in Germany, the event is a carnival of fashion films, with various international fashion brands flocking to the event.

"Mood Swing" is the first collaboration between director Zahidul Alam Khan and fashion model Sabrina Zaman Riba.

Zahidul Alam Khan, who began his career in 2014 as a fashion film director, is a well-known figure in the fashion industry of Bangladesh. From the beginning of his career, his unique style of filmmaking set him apart from his peers.

"This film (Mood Swing) was my personal project, so I didn't showcase any specific products here," noted Zahidul Alam Khan. "I simply tried to portray the relationship between human emotions and the personal choice of fashion and style."

Zahidul Alam Khan has recently received critical acclaim, both nationally and internationally, after "Mood Swing" received an award at the Berlin Film Festival. Previously, the director's 2018 film, "Happiness", also received an award at same festival.

"As a director, I intentionally avoided common tools of filmmaking like dialogues, text, voice-overs, etc.," said Zahidul Alam Khan. "I wanted my audience to fully feel with film, and connect with the characters."

Riba is a famed model, who has worked with multiple Bangladeshi fashion brands and is also an independent fashion filmmaker. "Mood Swing" is her first international film.

"I gave my full dedication and effort for this film," shared Riba. "While filming 'Mood Swing', I have really changed my acting approach to best suit the needs of the film."

"Mood Swing" was screened in multiple film festivals, including the internationally renowned Berlin Fashion Film Festival, Milan Fashion Film Festival, LA Fashion Film Festival, and London Fashion Film Festival. As a result, the film has grown its reputation worldwide.

Both Zahidul and Riba are continuously striving to uphold the standard of Bangladeshi fashion films on the global stage.