Selection process of govt grant films begins with transparency, professionalism

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has started the process of selecting films with transparency and utmost professionalism for disbursement of government grants.

In this regard, PowerPoint presentation of the proposed films before the script selection committee of the full-length feature films for grant has begun for the first time.

State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat inaugurated the selection process at his ministry's conference room at the Secretariat on Thursday (18 April).

PowerPoint presentation of initially selected 45 films out of 195 full-length feature films applied for grant in FY24 has begun.

On this day, the script selection committee members secretly assigned marks to the films separately after watching the PowerPoint presentation. At this time, the members of the film grant committee were also present as observers.

The state minister said government grant films will be selected with transparency and utmost professionalism.

The government wants to ensure more professionalism in the production of government-funded films, he added.

Arafat further said the government is sincere to ensure that the grants for film production are provided through a transparent and accountable process.

The government also wants to ensure that efficient and experienced people in the field of film can be involved in the selection process for grants, he mentioned.

On the basis of various international standards, the members of the selection committee are giving marks separately on the proposals of the applied films, he said.

Later, by averaging the marks of all the members, the applications with the highest marks will be considered for grant, the state minister said, adding: "Such steps have been taken to ensure maximum impartiality and transparency."

Information and Broadcasting Ministry's Senior Secretary Md Humayun Kabir Khandaker, its Joint Secretary Md Kawser Ahammed, Deputy Secretary Md Saiful Islam, Film Director Md Mushfikur Rahman Guljar, Actresses Falguni Hamid and Afsana Mimi, full-length film grant committee member and DU Television, Film and Photography Department Professor Dr Abu Jafar Md. Shafiul Alam Bhuiyan, member of script selection committee of full-length films grant and Dhaka University (DU) Television, Film and Photography Department Assistant Prof Reffat Ferdous, DU Theatre and Performance Department Prof and Actress Wahida Mollick Jolly, Stamford University Film and Media Department Associate Prof and Film Director Matin Rahman, Bangladesh Film Directors Association President and Film Director Kazi Hayat, Film Director Amitabh Reza Chowdhury were present during the presentation of the films.

To encourage talent and creativity in the film industry and to uphold the longstanding culture of Bangladesh, the government disburses grants in producing films on the country's independence and Liberation War and on humanitarian values on the basis of government grant disbursement policy in film production, 2020 (amended) with a view to providing government's assistance in film production.