ULAB hosts press meet ahead of Dhaka mobile film festival
The press conference for the Dhaka International Mobile Film Festival (DIMFF) 2026, an outreach programme of the Media Studies and Journalism Department at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB), was held on 29 January 2026 at the ULAB permanent campus.
The 12th Dhaka International Mobile Film Festival 2026, presented by Infinix Mobile Bangladesh and powered by Star Cineplex, will take place on 31 January and 1 February, bringing together filmmakers from 24 countries. A total of 131 films were submitted this year, of which 25 have been selected for screening across six categories: Short Film, One Minute Film, Vertical Film, Open Door, Citizen Journalism, and Outstanding Talent.
The festival will take place on 31 January at the ULAB permanent campus and on 1 February at Star Cineplex, Shimanto Shambhar.
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The Short Film category is open exclusively to undergraduate and graduate-level university students. The winner will receive the Cinemascope Best Film Award. Selected films in this category include Aaloklota by Atanu Biswas (Bangladesh), The Sixth Element by Sudipta Sarker (Bangladesh), Go Wandering by Wenhao Zhang (China), Cells by Al Minar Mahmudur Reza (India), Puti by Geremy Evangelista Rivera (Philippines), Family Trio by Wei-Na Chien (China), First Cut by Kyungrok Kim (Korea), and From and to Nature, We Return by Bishoy Adel (Egypt).
The One Minute Film category is open to students from Grades 1 to 12, with a maximum runtime of one minute. The winner will receive the ULAB Young Filmmaker Award. Selected films include Offerings by Wasiq Ahnaf Chowdhury and Aayan Hussain (Bangladesh), Michael: From Tissues to Terror by Jarif Zaman and Ajfar Amin Ilham (Bangladesh), My Unquenchable Crescent by Kovsar Gurban (Azerbaijan), Untold Dreams by Abyaz Alind (Bangladesh), and The Last Ring by Abyaz Alind (Bangladesh).
The Vertical Film category, dedicated to vertically oriented films, will award the DIMFF Best Vertical Film. Selected films are The Prey by Jeyachandra Hashmi (India), Arise My Love by M C Jonet (USA), and Aojo (Evil Eye) by Ahadur Rahman (Bangladesh).
The Open Door category is open to all filmmakers, with the winner receiving the DIMFF Best Film Award. Selected films include Concrete Echoes by Mostafa Borzouyan Dastjerdi (Iran), The Observed by Zhivko Zidarov (Bulgaria), KATA by Marta Renzi (USA), In Their Own Time by Sourya Dipta (India), and Limerent Pittsburgh by Anne Iecko (USA).
A dedicated Citizen Journalism category has been introduced this year to highlight real-life issues related to social justice, climate change, and marginalised voices. The winner will receive the MSJ Best CJ Award. Selected films include The White Gold of Anchialo by Zhivko Zidarov (Bulgaria), Mohammad Ayub: The Uncovered Story of a 13-Year-Old Child Labour by Tanvir Jawad (Bangladesh), Waves of Hope by Tanvir Jawad (Bangladesh), and A Very Clear Sunrise by Asmita Pal (India).
DIMFF 2026 has also introduced the Outstanding Talent Award, recognising exceptional contributions by a crew member such as a sound designer, editor, actor, cinematographer, or scriptwriter.
The jury board for Short Film, One Minute Film, and Vertical Film categories comprises Deependra Gauchan, Nepali film director, screenwriter, and producer, and Sheikh Rajibul Islam, Bangladeshi cinematographer and director of photography. The Open Door and Citizen Journalism categories will be judged by Léon Desclozeaux, French film director and producer, and Leesa Gazi, Bangladeshi-British writer and filmmaker.
The theme of DIMFF 2026 is "Latim".
This year's festival is presented by Infinix and powered by Star Cineplex. The Business Standard and The Daily Samakal are print and online media partners, while Dhaka Post and Ittefaq are online media partners. TBS Graduate is the youth engagement partner, and Channel i is the broadcast partner. Other partners include The Castor (digital media), Rang Berang (magazine), Bangla Vision, Dhaka Journal, and Maasranga (electronic media), ULAB TV (campus TV), Tickmark (event partner), and Lumiere Moments and Bevore Production as documentation partners.
Festival Director Zahra Nusrat; HR and Strategy Manager S M Rahnuma Apshara; Festival Coordinator Sohan Sheikh; and PR and Media Manager Most Rafia Sultana were present at the press conference and shared details about the festival.
