Weekend Film Challenge winners revealed

The first ever Weekend Film Challenge Dhaka, hosted by the Short Film Lab (SFL), a community service organisation based in Doha, Qatar, sponsored by Excelerate Energy, US-based LNG company, culminated in a standing room only screening and awards ceremony on 26th October, showcasing short films produced by local teams made in just 48 hours.

Each team crafted digital stories focused on the challenges of climate change, bringing unique and poignant perspectives to the forefront.

Led by Dr Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar, Founder and Creative Director of the SFL, and accompanied by Ella Riddle and Sara Eassa, students in Qatar who are also alumni of the SLF mentorship programme in Doha, the entire experience was made possible by the support of Excelerate Energy, major LNG provider to Bangladesh. Habib Bhuiyan, country manager of Excelerate Energy was present at the award distribution ceremony.

The programme comes under the company's aims to support local talent and businesses, as well as contribute to education programmes in their operating countries, thereby bringing benefits to the generations of today and tomorrow.

15 completed films were screened to a captivated audience at the EMK Centre, with five awards and an honourable mention recognising the talents and ingenuity of these emerging filmmakers. The winning films tackled topics from water pollution to environmental neglect and climate displacement, demonstrating how young storytellers are using film to advocate for environmental action.