"Ip Man 4," the latest installment in the Chinese martial arts film franchise "Ip Man" based on the life of a legendary Wing Chun master, led the Chinese mainland box office Wednesday, according to the China Movie Data Information Network Thursday.

The film raked in 13.57 million yuan (about 1.97 million U.S. dollars), with its total box office revenue reaching over 1 billion yuan.

Set in the 1960s, the new film sees Donnie Yen reprising the title role as the kung fu master who travels to the United States to work with Bruce Lee after the latter decides to open a Wing Chun school.

It was followed by the Chinese thriller "Sheep Without a Shepherd," which grossed about 13 million yuan on its 34th day of screening.

Chinese comedy "Adoring" ranked third with ticket sales of 10.9 million yuan.

The Sixth edition of ‘Dhaka International Conference on Women in Cinema’, as part of Dhaka International Film Festival’s 18th edition, concluded on Monday with a declaration that proposed a goal to increase the worldwide number of women filmmakers by fifty percent within 2020.

The ongoing Dhaka International Film Festival features some of its recurring and acclaimed segments, and the conference again enthralled the film enthusiasts like the previous years, as part of those recurring festivities.

The two-day long international conference was held at the Dhaka Club Samson Lounge in the city which focused on major issues and possible solutions concerning women in the film industry in both national and international sphere.

Focusing the objects such as improving the standard and content of women based cinema and create interaction among the women who are involved in the medium of cinema through exchanging ideas and sharing diverse experiences, a total of six keynote papers were presented in this two-day international conference.

The first day was observed with the presentations on three keynote papers- ‘Recognition of Women Professionals: On and Off the Lens’ by Fatima Amin, faculty of film and television department, Jagannath University; ‘Hard Won Lessons’ by Hannah Fisher, international film programmer, festival director and activist from Toronto, Canada; and ‘New Trends in Feminist Films from South Asia’ by Meenakshi Shedde, journalist and award-winning film critic based in Mumbai, India.

On Sunday, the conference began with three other keynote papers - ‘Reaching Out and Linking Arms Around the World’ by Sydney Levine, trainer/ educator, writer and consultant for festival, international sales and financing strategies from Los Angeles, USA; ‘Bangladeshi Women's Contribution in the Technical Fields of Cinema’ by Chaitali Somadder, independent film-maker, editor and instructor from Dhaka, Bangladesh and ‘TahaderKotha: the Binaries between Public-Private: Depiction of Refugee Women Breadwinners in Post-Partition Bengali Cinema (1950s to 1970s)’ by DrDebjaniHalder, independent filmmaker and film research officer, Film and Television Institute of India, Pune.

The closing and declaration ceremony was presided over by the conference director Sydney Levine followed by Liberation War Museum Trustee Mofidul Hoque.

Rainbow Film Society initiated this international conference as part of the on-going 18th Dhaka International Film Festival 2020, which began in Dhaka on January 11 and will continue till January 19.

Sikder Group has signed a sponsorship agreement of Tk 5 crore to make a full-length film titled ‘Chironjib Mujib’.

The film will be made based on the autobiography of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, said a press release.

The main plot of the movie will be taken from “Unfinished Autobiography”.

The production of this film is being sponsored by Sikder Group, National Bank and PowerPac Holdings Ltd jointly.

The production of this film is being sponsored by Sikder Group, National Bank and PowerPac Holdings Ltd jointly, mentioned the press release.

Ron Haque Sikder on behalf of Sikder Group, PowerPac Holdings Limited and National Bank Limited signed the sponsorship agreement on Saturday evening at Sikder Haus, Banani in the capital.

According to the agreement, the income from the commercial use of the film, exhibition and advertisement of this film will be donated to the Bangabandhu Memorial Trust.

Chief Operating Officer of Chief Operating Officer, SQ Islam Mohon, DMD of National Bank Limited A.S.M. Bulbul, among other senior officials of Sikder Group were also present in the ceremony.

Chinese comedy film "Adoring" remained number one at the Chinese mainland box office Saturday, according to the China Movie Data Information Network Sunday.

The film raked in nearly 23.6 million yuan (about 3.4 million U.S. dollars) on its twelfth day of screening, accounting for about 18 percent of the daily total.

"Adoring" revolves around six warm stories about pets and their owners during different ages and their journeys to find and appreciate love.

It was followed by "Ip Man 4," the latest installment in the Chinese martial arts film franchise "Ip Man" based on the life of a legendary Wing Chun master.

The film grossed about 23 million yuan, with its total box office revenue reaching over 1 billion yuan.

"Sheep Without a Shepherd" ranked third with ticket sales of about 22.2 million yuan. The film has also grossed more than 1 billion yuan since its release.

Foreign Affairs Minister Dr A K Abdul Momen on Saturday said filmmakers from all over the world should make more films on the Rohingya issue, shedding light on the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the refugee camps dotted around Cox’s Bazaar. 

“There should be films on this international crisis, so the world can acknowledge the truth and help to solve this issue,” he said adding that there should also be films made on Bangladeshi immigrants and their livelihood on other parts of the world.

Dr Momen made the remarks while addressing as the chief guest at the inaugural ceremony of Dhaka International Film Festival’s 18th edition at Bangladesh National Museum’s main auditorium on Saturday afternoon.
Regarding government’s initiative on saving the film industry of Bangladesh, the minister said there will be cinema halls in all 64 districts, covering the whole country.

“Our talented Bangladeshi filmmakers should get more opportunities in the global film market, and through this international festival I hope that market would be more available and welcoming to them”, FM expressed his hope from the organizers and global film marketers. 

Chief Patron of the festival and State Minister for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam announced that the 19th edition of this renowned film festival would be dedicated to the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, marking the ‘Mujib-Year’. He also asked advice from the participating film scholars regarding the preparation. 

The inauguration ceremony was also joined by the organizer Rainbow Film Society’s President and Festival Director Ahmed Muztaba Zamal, Vice President and EC member Mokammel Hossain, Polish filmmaker and Jury board member of Asian Films Competition Section, Joanna KOS-KRAUZE and others.

After the inauguration, the festival commenced with the film UnaVentana Al Mar (Window to the Sea), directed by Miguel Angel Jimenez. The film is a co-production of Spain and Greece.

With the slogan of ‘Better Film, Better Audience, Better Society’- the 18th Dhaka International Film Festival will screen some 220 films, with participation from 74 countries in competitive categories including “Asian Cinema,” “Retrospective,” “Bangladesh Panorama,” “Cinema of the World,” “Children’s Films,” “Spiritual Films,” “Women Filmmakers ” and “Short and Independent Films” categories.

The film screenings will be held at the Bangladesh National Museum’s main auditorium and Sufia Kamal auditorium, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy’s National Music and Dance auditorium and National Art Gallery, Central Public Library’s Shawkat Osman auditorium, Alliance Francaise de Dhaka auditorium and two of the renowned cinema halls in the capital- Madhumita cinema hall and Star Cineplex’s Bashundhara City and Shimanto Shambhar branches.

Organizers Rainbow Film Society will also be hosting a two-day ‘Sixth International Women Filmmakers Conference’ from Sunday (January 12) where women filmmakers, actors and personalities from all over the world will take part, along with BGMEA president Dr Rubana Huq at Dhaka Club’s Samson H. Chowdhury Lounge.

A day-long programme ‘WEST MEETS EAST’ will also be held on January 14 at the same venue.

Another very important segment that this year’s festival is arranging is the Children’s Film Section, where films related to children will be screened free of cost every day from 10 am to 3 pm. A special arrangement has been made for the underprivileged children to enjoy the films.

Students with valid identity cards will be allowed to watch films for free at the 10 am, 1 pm and 3 pm shows. Except for the cinema halls, attendance for regular audiences will also be free at most of the venues. Screenings at the main gallery of National Museum and Public Library’s Shawkat Osman auditorium however will cost Tk 50.

One film from the Bangladesh Panorama section will receive the prestigious International Film Critics Federation (FIPRESCI) critics’ award for Best Film.

This year’s festival will conclude on January 19.