First Bangladeshi young critic at IFFR

International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), held in Netherland's Rotterdam city annually is considered one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world. While the festival has had representation of Bangladeshi cinema for many years, this year for the first time a Bangladeshi journalist has been competitively selected as a young film critic to cover the festival.

Fahmim Ferdous, a journalist for The Daily Star, has been selected IFFR 2018's “Trainee Project for Young Film Critics”. He becomes the first Bangladeshi to be selected in the Young Critics programme's 20 year history and is one of the five selected journalists/film critics from Romania, Chile, Singapore and Nigeria.

For the duration of the festival from January 24-February 3, 2018, Fahmim will cover the festival as an accredited journalist for IFFR web sites and publications as well as his home publication, and will also serve as a FIPRESCI Jury for films in the “Bright Future” section of the festival.

Aside from being the first Bangladeshi elected in the programme, the event marks his first time being part of a film festival of such scale. “I am excitedly looking forward to the event. Experimental and independent films are especially focused on at the festival, and it is a great honour and responsibility to serve as a member of the FIPRESCI jury at the programme. I hope to learn and experience a lot at the festival,” he added.