The Hill Film Festival () is a biennial film festival held in Rangamati and Dhaka, Bangladesh. Established in 2014 by the Jum Film Forum, the festival showcases films produced in the indigenous languages of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) and broader Bangladesh, alongside national and international submissions.5th Hill Film Festival held (TBS News)
History First held in Rangamati in 2014, the Hill Film Festival was created to showcase cinema from and about the Chittagong Hill Tracts. It features screenings, workshops, and panel discussions involving local and international participants.5th Hill Film Festival held (TBS News)
Events and activities The festival screens fiction films, documentaries, and experimental projects addressing regional cultural and environmental topics. Its supplementary programming includes:
Film Screenings: Feature-length, short, and student film categories. Workshops & Masterclasses: Educational sessions on direction, cinematography, and documentary production. Panel Discussions: Public talks on regional cinema and contemporary art.
Awards & Prizes Best Short Fiction Best Feature Fiction Best Short Documentary Best Feature Documentary Best Mid-Length (Documentary & Fiction) Best Experimental (Any Length) Best Student Film (Any length) Honorable Mention
Masterclass and workshops The festival hosts workshops and masterclasses on directing, cinematography, and documentary filmmaking, with instruction led by directors such as Humaira Bilkis, Barkat Hossain Polash, Aung Rakhine, and Sukorno Shahed Dhiman. It also conducts the Praxis Public Talk Series on topics in contemporary art and cinema.
Hill Film Festival School of Film and Visual Arts The HFF School of Film and Visual Arts is an educational initiative run by the festival in Dhaka and Rangamati. It offers training programs and workshops in various artistic mediums for young artists in Bangladesh. While primarily serving indigenous practitioners, the school is open to participants of all ethnic backgrounds.
Organizers and partnerships In collaboration with local cultural organizations and international partners such as Goethe-Institut Bangladesh, Drik Trust, Goopy Bagha Productions Limited, Supporting People and Rebuilding Communities (SPaRC), and Hill Resource Centre. A Dhaka version of the festival takes place in various locations in the city. The Dhaka Edition of the Hill Film Festival was jointly organized by Jum Film Forum, Pathshala South Asian Media Institute, and Drik Trust.
Organizing Body
Adit Dewan, Festival Director Fazle Hasan Shishir, Festival Programmer Santua Tripura, Festival Programmer
Impact and recognition The festival has received support from Bangladeshi cultural institutions and international organizations, including the Goethe-Institut Bangladesh, Pathshala South Asian Media Institute, and Drik Picture Library. Coverage of the event has focused on its role in showcasing regional cinema and indigenous-language films from the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
References