Festival
Best Movies Preview: The Anticipation on the Run for Cannes Film Festival 2021
The competition event among the best movies of the Cannes film festival 2021 has already been knocking at the door. This most-coveted fest program is going to take place from July 6 to 17 at the Palais De Festival Center in Cannes of France. Spike Lee, the American filmmaker, will lead the juries in competition while Andrea Arnold, the British filmmaker will be the head of Un Certain Regard. The program will be live from its opening day on TV Festival De Cannes, and its YouTube, and Dailymotion channels.
Best movies of Cannes Film Festival 2021
Annette | In Competition | Opening Film
The festival will launch with ‘Annette’ of the french director Leos Carax. This musical movie comes up with screenplay by Ron Mael and Russell Mael of Sparks. This film features the music of the pop band Sparks where the protagonist characters Marion Cotillard plays a stand-up comedian where Adam Driver plays an opera singer. They discover that their two-year-old baby girl has born with an unusual gift that is completely changing their lives.
Read Cannes Film Festival 2021: Movies and Filmmakers under the Limelight
The French Dispatch | In Competition
This comedy-drama will likely delight the French with three different storylines about a fictional American newspaper staff. The casts are full of celebrities including Timothee Chalamet, Frances McDormand, and Tilda Swinton, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Benicio Del Toro, Saoirse Ronan.
The eccentric filmmaker Wes Anderson made this film getting inspired by his love for an American weekly magazine ‘The New Yorker’. This movie depicts the freedom of the press as well as the significant connection of a reporter with the worldwide phenomena.
Benedetta | In Competition
The ever-controversial Dutch director Paul Verhoeven appears this time with ‘Benedetta’. This film, based on the non-fiction novel ‘Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy’ written by Judith C. Brown, portrays the unorthodox love affair of a nun through a national revolution. The Belgian actress Virginie Efira stars the title role. In this movie, Verhoeven engaged some crew members of his previous films. Interestingly, Verhoeven himself along with David Birke wrote the screenplay of Benedetta’.
Read Greatest Love Stories in Celluloid: Hollywood’s Best Romantic Movies of All Time
Bergman Island | In Competition
Bergman Island is written and directed by the French filmmaker Mia Henson Love. Tim Roth and Vicky Krieps star in this comedy-drama. The theme is an American filmmaking couple embarks on a summer trip to an island on the Baltic Sea of Faro. The island is famous for the Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Burgman as he shot most of his iconic films there. Even he lived and died on that island.
The screenplay of Bergman Island shows how the couple naturally loses their grip during the filmmaking. Mia Wasikowska and Anders Danielsen Lie are also in this artistically made film within a film.
Memoria | In Competition
Already Palme D’or winner in 2010, the Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul will come up with his first English language film Memoria. Tilda Swinton, the executive producer of the film, plays a Scottish tourist who encounters supernatural activities during the visit to her sister in Columbia. As the ending day of the festival matches with this Weerasethakul’s birthday, another Palme D’or will be a surprising gift for him. Speaking of the movie, he gave a hint of a great twist.
Read 'Ahimsa – Gandhi: The Power of the Powerless' decodes the force of nonviolence
Titan | In Competition
Whereabouts of a young woman, a medical experiment, some automobile crimes, and cold movement of a mid-aged man; that’s all filled up within this horror movie. The plot is not straightforward like the previous films of the French film director Julia Docounau.
Eventually, this film is getting lots of vibes and curiosities. Nathalie Boyer, Agathe Rousselle, and Vincent Lindon will be seen in this mysterious and compelling background. Julia is best known for her first feature film ‘Raw’ which won the International Federation of Film Critics prize.
Mothering Sunday | Cannes Premier
This British drama film has been made based on the novel Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift. The background is England after World War I where a love story is developed in a single-day drama. Jane, played by Odessa Young, secretly plans to meet her lover starred by Josh O’Connor. Colin Firth and Olivia Colman are also in the movie directed by the French director Eva Husson. The screenplay was written by the British playwright Alice Birch.
Read Rehana Maryam Noor: The Bangladeshi Film in the prestigious list of Cannes
Cow | Cannes Premier
‘Cow’ is a close-up portrait of the daily life of a regular dairy cow. The English filmmaker Andrea Arnold has made this masterpiece by exploring the challenges of the lives of this domestic animal and its great service to us. She is considered as a regular Cannes director and already won an Oscar in 2005 for her short film Wasp. BBC Film and Doc Society have sponsored the endeavor which is set to premiere at Cannes Film Festival 2021.
Vortex | Cannes Premier
After the successful presentation of Irreversible, Love, Climax, and Lux Aeterna in Cannes, the Argentine filmmaker Gasper Noe is going to bring a documentary-style film Vortex this time. The film revolves around the last days of an elderly couple as they gradually keep forgetting everything. The casts are the Iconic Italian director Dario Argento, Francoise Lebrun, and Alex Lutz. It is considered to set a new dimension in the horror genre. This Noe film will undoubtedly create a big buzz like his previous ones.
Read Female filmmakers of Bangladesh have made their mark in the industry
Red Rocket | In Competition
Sean Baker has made his name as the favorite indie filmmaker after his great achievement in The Florida Project. This pitch-black American comedy tells the story of a porn star who is no longer as famous as before. He goes back to his hometown expecting open arms reception. But he realized soon that he doesn’t belong there anymore. Bree Elrod and Suxanna Son have acted in the film while Simon Rex plays the main character. Baker himself and Chris Bergoch have written the screenplay together like the previous hit films.
In a nutshell
These are just a glimpse of the best movies of Cannes Film Festival 2021. There are more surprising motion pictures including independent films and some classics. It is obvious that the World is going to encounter some amazing screenplays that will lead the future movie genres.
Read Top 10 English Comedy Movies released in 2021
Bangladesh Short Film and Documentary Festival begins Friday
Here's some good news for movie buffs. The third edition of the Bangladesh Short Film and Documentary Festival will begin on June 18.
Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, it will be a virtual event this year, according to Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.
Read: First-ever Bangladesh European Union Film Festival (BEUFF) kicks off online
A total of 119 films -- 81 fictional and 38 documentaries -- will be shown at this year's event that will virtually run till June 25. The Academy is dedicating this year's festival to the legendary filmmaker Hiralal Sen.
BSA Director General Liaquat Ali Lucky and Director of the Academy's Theatre and Film Department, Afsana Karim Mimi, shared the details of the festival at a virtual press meet streamed on its Facebook page on June 16.
State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid will virtually inaugurate the festival at 5 pm on June 18 as the chief guest.
Read:Rehana Maryam Noor: The Bangladeshi Film in the prestigious list of Cannes
Secretary of the Ministry of Culture Badrul Arefin, noted filmmaker Amitabh Reza Chowdhury and prominent film scholar-researcher Anupam Hayat will join the inauguration ceremony as special guests, while Mimi will deliver the welcome speech.
The inauguration ceremony will be chaired by the BSA Director General.
At the virtual press briefing, the organisers said that of the 400-plus films submitted, the 119 were selected by a five-member selection committee.
Read: First Bangladeshi film in Cannes' Un Certain Regard: After Matir Moyna, 'Rehana Maryam Noor' makes history
Hayat, advisor to Bangladesh Documentary Council Sazzad Zahir, Secretary General of Bangladesh Short Film Forum Rakibul Hasan, film critic Sadia Khalid, and Assistant Director of BSA's Theatre and Film Department Chakladar Mostafa Al Masoud are the members of the committee.
A five-member jury will select the best films of the festival. The jurors are Bangladesh Documentary Council President Faridur Rahman, Bangladesh Short Film Forum President Zahidur Rahman Anjan, filmmaker Amitabh Reza Chowdhury, actress Mimi and eminent filmmaker Syed Salahuddin Zaki.
Seven separate awards will be conferred on the recipients, based on each of the two categories (fictional films and documentaries).
Read: Female filmmakers of Bangladesh have made their mark in the industry
The festival will also feature three masterclasses from June 21st to June 23rd at 6 pm. These masterclasses will be conducted by Amitabh Reza Chowdhury, Shabnam Ferdousi and Lawrence Apu Rozario.
BSA organised this exclusive film festival in 2016 and 2018 across all the 64 districts of Bangladesh.
Pahela Falgun, Valentine’s Day celebrations in pictures
Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka wore a festive look with the participation of youths, couples, cultural activists, and children on Pahela Falgun, the first day of spring, and the Valentine’s Day on Friday.
Valentine’s Day, Pahela Falgun coincide; set to add new flavour
People are set to witness a more colourful and joyous day on Friday as this year both Pahela Falgun, the first day of Spring, and the Valentine’s Day will be celebrated on the weekend.
2nd National Campus Theatre Festival at BSA
The 2nd National Campus Theatre Festival 2020 got underway at the National Music and Dance Centre of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) on Friday.
Two-day Beach Cultural Festival begins in Cox’s Bazar Friday
Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) is all set to host the first-ever Beach Cultural Festival at the Laboni Point of Cox’s Bazar Sea Beach from Friday.
Shakrain: Recognising the root of Old Dhaka
‘Old Dhaka’ is an important destination for many to enjoy traditional food. Apart from flavourful dishes, one annual festival is also there which is known as ‘Shakrain’ or ‘Paush Shankranti’ that draws people in large numbers.
Shohorbati’s Winter Pitha Mela held in city
A day-long winter cake festival titled ‘Shohorbati’s Winter Pitha Mela’ was held in a joyous atmosphere at a city restaurant on Friday.
DU Music Dept’s two-day silver jubilee festival kicks off Tuesday
A two-day music festival of the Music Department of Dhaka University (DU) begins on Tuesday with the theme ‘Bangla Gaan’ (Bangla Songs), aiming to keep cultural activities alive and thriving in the country.
Eid-e-Miladunnabi on Nov 10
Dhaka, Oct 29 (UNB) - Eid-e-Miladunnabi, the day of birth and demise of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (SM), will be observed in the country on November 10 (Sunday) as the moon of Rabiul Awal was sighted in Bangladesh sky on Tuesday.