All Women Film Festival underway in Chattogram

Chattogram is set to host its first-ever "Chattogram International All Women Film Festival 2025," a three-day celebration of women filmmakers from Bangladesh and abroad. The festival opens today at Alliance Française de Chittagong and will run through September 6, with screenings scheduled daily from 4pm to 8pm. Entry is free and open to the public.

Jointly organised by Film for Us and the Asian University for Women Film Club, with support from ConnectHER, the festival brings together 13 films in competition—seven fiction works and six documentaries—alongside a curated sidebar of 12 Palestinian films and 15 shorts from ConnectHER.

The structure is straightforward, opening day screenings of the competition titles follow the inaugural ceremony, day two is dedicated to Palestinian works by independent women directors, and the final day features ConnectHER's shorts before awards are announced at the closing.

Photo: Collected

Festival director Masudur Rahman confirmed that filmmakers from five countries will be represented. Welcoming the initiative, Cultural Affairs Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki called it an important step for women's cinema in Bangladesh.

"The films we are showcasing are not just works of art; they are lived experience, reflections of society, and bold acts of expression," said Sadia Afrin, co-founder of "Film for Us." Sumaiya Bushra, president of AUW Film Club, added, "This event is our collective answer to the call for more inclusive storytelling."

With its carefully curated programme and free public access, the festival aims to make Chattogram a recurring stop on the global circuit for women directors—bringing urgent, author-driven films to new audiences while carving space for dialogue and exchange.