Celebrating Life 2016 - Film Winners

Lubna Sharmin 

What are your feelings after getting this award?

I am absolutely delighted to know that I got this award. Since I pursued this career option on my own interest, I had a lot to prove to myself and to the people that believed in me. I have always put my family first and before my career, and even after that, succeeding at such a big platform would be a proud moment of my life and one of the many achievements that I look back into.

Do you think that this Award will inspire you to work harder?

Yes, any award will inspire an artist to work harder, whatever their art may be. But I think the social background, personality, mentality, character traits and the peer group of anyone truly determines how the award can influence the artists and how it defines their success. That being said I feel that this award will inspire and influence me a lot for my future endeavors.     

What would your greatest influence think of you, knowing that you received such a prestigious award?

It might sound very crude if I say that I don't have idols or influences that specific, but I don't. However, after getting the opportunity to study at the prestigious Shatyajit film and television institute I had the opportunity to come across some of the most talented people I have ever met in my life who were my teachers. If they got to know about me winning this award they would definitely be happy for me as they have a huge contribution behind my success and still see me reaching for their help every once in a while, while making a film. 

Abid Hossain Khan

What would your greatest influence think of you, knowing that you received such a prestigious award?

Rather than relishing and reveling in the fact that I got this award, I am most happy to get the prize money that this award brings me. This might sound raw and unfinished for the social norms, however, I am my own producer and much of the amount of money that I win, goes to my film making. I have always wanted to introduce the experimental film genre in Bangladesh and much of my work reflects that, as all my work is done in an anti aesthetic sense and I almost never opt for commercial films. I believe that Bangladesh still needs to introduce more genres of films and needs to spend more money into the research and development to films. 

Do you think that this Award will inspire you to work harder?

See, to speak the truth of things, I come from a middle class family, where my family had the typical dreams of making me a doctor or an engineer. When I started out with film making, my friends and family were not so helpful in my career choice. Since all my work is unconventional,where producers do not want fund such unorthodox films. Therefore, this award will not only help and influence me in my film making, it will also prove to the many people that were not quite proud of it.

What are your feelings after getting this award?

Some of my greatest influences were; Stan Brakhage, Maya Deren, Michael Snow. But amongst them a specific film maker always fancied my interests who goes by the name, Chantal Ackerman. I always had a romantic desire to meet such people is real life and share my work with them and get to know them better. However, most of my influences have long past breathed their last. Chantal Ackerman specifically suicide, so I  wouldn't think that even if I did know her personally and dedicated this award, to her it would have bothered her too much, as worldly desires don't matter to a person in such state of mind.  

Rahman Lenin

What are your feelings after getting this award?

This is the first time I received an award and that too for my debut film. This makes me feel ecstatic. The film was crowd funded so a lot of people have been involved in this project, so I think they should be ones who deserve this award.

Do you think that this Award will inspire you to work harder?

Definitely. Movies are my passion and so an award of such magnitude has really inspired me to do better. If I can win this an such a prestigious award on my first go, I believe I can improve myself to bag multiple awards in my lifetime.  

What would your greatest influence think of you, knowing that you received such a prestigious award?

I have many influences and so I think they would be really happy. They have also contributed immensely to this project and this is another reason why they would be ecstatic.