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School of General Education, BRAC University, recently held the “BRAC University and OSUN Film Festival 2024”, showcasing student-produced films that entertained and educated the audience.
The festival featured documentaries chosen from a section of the "Documentary Film: Theory and Practice" course at BRAC University. Led by respected film producer Dina Hossain and Dr. Ratan Kumar Roy, this program is part of the Open Society University Network (OSUN) Course - Visual Storytelling for Civic Engagement. It encourages students to create videos and collaborate with faculty.
In the course, students learn about making documentaries, focusing on ethics and truthfulness. They also gain practical skills in smartphone filmmaking and work together to produce films tackling important social issues. The goal of these films is to educate and motivate viewers to make positive changes in society.
The ceremony was inaugurated by Khairul Basher, Director of Communications at BRAC University. Notable guests included Dr. Dave Dowland, Registrar, BRAC University, Samia Huq, Dean of the School of General Education, Ariful Islam, Chief Financial Officer, BRAC University and Montaha Chowdury, Alumni, Asian University for Women. The festival is one of several held at OSUN universities, including BARD College, Al Quds University, American University in Central Asia, and European Humanities University. These events offer a platform for students to showcase their creativity and promote cross-cultural understanding.
The festival screened three OSUN award-winning films:
"Fading Tides, Rising Hope - The Fight to Save Dhaka’s Water Bodies" by MD Tahjid Ahsan, Nazmul Hasan, Fatin Nur Ishraq, and Omar Ibtesam Nibir, which won the OSUN Civic Engagement Award.
"Road Safety Movement 2018: Are We Safe Yet?" by Prodipta Hasin, Anindita Hossain Rhine, Imranul Ahsan Moonim, and Md. Imtiaz Sarker Shihab, which won the OSUN Best Script Award.
"Food Waste in Bangladesh" by Sakib Sadi, Saklain Nizam Thakur, Muhtasim Billah Nahin, and Tanzila Parveen, which received the OSUN Environmental Stewardship Award.
Other films included "I am NOT Alone: Women and STEM in Bangladesh", "Day Care Centers: Transforming the Lives of Working Women in Bangladesh", "Beyond Boundaries - Shaping Tomorrow's Bangladesh", and "The Journey of Hope and Recognition - Geneva Camp Mohammadpur".
Awards were presented to two Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) students: Nowrin Islam Rio for Outstanding Research and Tanvir Islam Sayem for Outstanding Effort. During the Q&A session, students discussed filmmaking challenges such as negotiating politically sensitive issues, finding archival footage, and convincing people to appear on camera.
The BRAC University and OSUN Film Festival 2024 highlighted the university's commitment to student creativity and civic engagement, showcasing the power of storytelling in addressing social issues.
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