Meet your Friendly Neighbourhood Filmmakers

On May 30, 10 short films, helmed by 10 emerging filmmakers, under the umbrella of Friendly Neighbourhood Filmmakers, were screened at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. A group of young enthusiasts caught in the loop of nine-to-five jobs or their own procrastination hadn't quite managed to make their films. Their long-dreamed project finally came to life when they gathered courage in their hearts and, sneaking away from their workplaces, dived into the challenge of telling stories on a small scale with minimal cost.

The team includes Zahidul Haque Apu ("Hudai Miss"), Ibna Noor Rakib ("Homounculus"), Adel Imam Anup ("Soulmate"), Sheikh Korashanee ("Cha Chai"), Al-Amin Hasan Nirjhor ("Telapoka"), Mahmuda Sultana Rima ("Lok"), Kanak Khondokar ("In Another World"), Phajla Rabbe ("For Sale"), Imtiaz Hossain ("On the Contrary"), and Abir Ferdous Mukhar ("Ishpite").

The filmmakers and cast after the screenings on Friday.

Sheikh Quraishyani, spokesperson for the Friendly Neighbourhood Filmmakers team, shared, "A quiet dream of making a film, but stuck with a corporate job! When a few boys and girls like that come together, you know what happens! Over tea breaks, lunch hours, or during work pauses, there's only one topic among us — to make at least one film in life."

He added, "At some point, we realised that if we don't start, the film will never be made. We at least had to get our hands dirty! Besides, some of us already had experience making films. One of us gave a perfect example — 'If you're waiting to eat biryani someday, can you really skip meals for a whole month? You've got to at least eat rice and lentils!' Similarly, we'll make a film someday, but for now, we've made short films. That's how our project began."

This first season of the event was organised last Friday under the sponsorship of Cosmetica Dhaka. Many members of the film community were present to support the initiative.