Bangladeshi filmmaker Abu Shahed Emon has been selected for the APN+ECG Track of the 2025 Asian Producers Network at the Singapore International Film Festival.

The programme supports emerging filmmakers in Asia and helps them connect with international producers and investors.

This year, 13 producers were chosen from over 160 applicants, with only eight projects advancing to the APN+ECG Track.

The programme provides filmmakers with pitching opportunities, one-on-one meetings, and networking sessions to secure financing, co-production deals, and distribution partnerships.

A Foolish Man follows Yakub, who escapes death row during a political uprising and returns to a country where law and order have collapsed.

The film has been in development for over a decade and has drawn international attention.

The project recently moved toward production through a Bangladesh–Taiwan co-production with Flash Forward Entertainment and Bangladesh’s Golpo Rajjo Films and Batayan Productions.

Flash Forward Entertainment has previously showcased films at major festivals, including Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Toronto, and Rotterdam.

Over the years, A Foolish Man has been developed through platforms such as the Asian Cinema Fund, Göteborg Film Festival Fund, Film Bazaar, and Locarno Open Doors Lab.

Its themes of justice, class, power, and national identity reflect broader social and political issues in South Asia.

Abu Shahed Emon’s selection places Bangladesh on a key Asian industry platform and aims to secure final partners to move the film into production.

The APN+ECG Track will provide high-level pitching, feedback, and industry meetings to help the project advance in the international market.