Bangladeshi short film ‘Sole Mate’ has been officially selected for competition at the Antares International Film Festival, a new film festival taking place in Moscow, Russia.

Directed by debutant Adel Imam Anup, ‘Sole Mate’ will compete in the official documentary film competition segment of the festival, which will be held from August 6 to 10 in Moscow.

The film has a runtime of four minutes and has already drawn praise for its unique narrative approach.

The festival authorities confirmed the film’s selection via email, describing it as an “outstanding achievement” for the ‘Sole Mate’ team. They noted that more than 2,400 films were submitted from various countries, out of which 104 films from 29 countries were chosen for the final competition.

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Speaking about the film, Anup said, “As an independent filmmaker, it’s truly an honour to have my first work selected for an international film festival. Honestly, it feels unbelievable.”

“Filmmaking here is often challenging due to various limitations, but I’m deeply grateful to those who believed in me and supported the project,” he added.

The film narrates the story of a pair of shoes — exploring what emotions they might express and what their journey would be if they could speak.

Notably, no human faces appear in the film; instead, it was shot by showing only feet. Konok Khandakar participated in the filming, and the narrative was told through a voiceover delivered by Rezwan Kabir Kallol.

'Sole Mate’ has so far been screened twice, both times in Dhaka. Its premiere took place at the first season of the "Friendly Neighbourhood Filmmaker Fest (FNF)" held at the National Theatre Hall of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.

The story of ‘Sole Mate’ was co-written by Adel Imam Anup and Rezwan Kabir Kallol. The screenplay was done by Sheikh Qorashani, while the cinematography and editing were handled by Asaduzzaman Abir, with Fazle Rabbi assisting in cinematography.