The 9th edition of Liberation DocFest Bangladesh concluded on Saturday, crowning Mahdi Fleifel (Denmark/Lebanon) directed ‘3 Logical Exits’ as the best film of the International Competition section.  The five-day festival also awarded the film ‘Why Not’ in the National Competition section, directed by Shekh Al Mamun. The 9th edition of the fest drew a tremendous response and participation from film enthusiasts around the world by providing a breathing space for all amid the coronavirus pandemic for the second year in a row. Read: Curtain rises for 9th Liberation DocFest Organized annually by the Liberation War Museum (LWM), the edition wrapped up with a concluding and award-giving ceremony on Saturday night via Zoom. The closing ceremony was joined by legendary actor and former Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor MP, Liberation War Museum Trustee Mofidul Hoque, award-winning filmmaker, educator and also late filmmaker Tareque Masud's wife and Chairperson of Tareque Masud Memorial Trust (TMMT) Catherine Masud, one of the National Competition jurors Alam Khorshed, festival director Tareq Ahmed and participating filmmakers from the different regions of the world. Lauding the success of the festival, Asaduzzaman Noor said, “I express my heartfelt gratitude on behalf of our Liberation War Museum, to everyone concerned with the 9th Liberation DocFest Bangladesh, supported by the Dhaka DocLab. These young filmmakers are working with various limitations. Still, they managed to tell and are continuously telling great stories about liberation, freedom and independence.” Read: 9th Liberation DocFest postponed as covid cases surge “Viewers and makers couldn’t come to the LWM and enjoy the festival live due to the pandemic, yet everyone successfully contributed to organizing the DocFest this year in this new virtual medium. We will see each other, shake hands and have tea or coffee together in a better future, celebrating the untold stories,” Noor said at the event. Catherine Masud lauded the organizers and participating filmmakers from home and abroad, saying, “In our time, Tareque Masud and I tried to portray the truth against all threats and censorship. To the young filmmakers, I urge you to never feel afraid of telling your stories through documentaries like these. We will never rise if we rise alone. We must rise together.”

The Saudi government has invited Bangladeshi scientists, academics and experts to participate in an international competition and conference on various scientific knowledge on Disability Research. The Authority for the Care of Persons with Disability in Saudi Arabia will host the international competition for disability research - third session - and the 6th international conference on disability and rehabilitation during the January 25-27 period. The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Dhaka informed that the competition and conference will be held under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud. Also Read:Saudi investors want to invest $5bn in Bangladesh: Ambassador Essa The title of the competition is “Empowering Individuals with Disabilities from Childhood to Adulthood-Between Research & Practice.” The Organising Committee will bear all the expenses, including travel expenditures and accommodation for the selected participants from outside of Saudi Arabia.  Interested participants from Bangladesh can visit the following website https://icdr.org.sa for detailed information regarding the participation in the competition and conference, said the Saudi Embassy in Dhaka on Thursday.       

Following the successful presentations arranged on the inaugural day of South Asia’s first online documentary film festival the 8th Liberation DocFest Bangladesh-2020, Wednesday marked the second day and continues projecting all the scheduled, promising documentary films from talented, masterful filmmakers around the world.