BRAC University and OSUN Film Festival 2024

On June 4, 2024, BRAC University and OSUN Film Festival 2024 was held in BRAC University’s theatre room, featuring student-produced documentary films based on various social issues. Dina Hossain (Senior Lecturer, the School of General Education) and Dr. Ratan Kumar Roy (Assistant Professor, the School of General Education) organized the event in association with the School of General Education and OSUN as part of the course CST304: Documentary Filmmaking: Theory and Practice. Professor Samia Huq (Dean, School of General Education), Khairul Basher (Director of Communications, BRAC University), Dr. Dave Dowland (Registrar, BRAC University), Dr. Ariful Islam (CFO, BRAC University) were among the notable guests.

The programme featured seven best picks from the coursework/documentary films from the past several semesters’ OSUN course CST304. After the screening, five best picks were awarded based on different categories. For each of the five categories (OSUN Best Script Award, OSUN Environmental Stewardship Award, OSUN Civic Engagement Award, Outstanding Research Award, Outstanding Effort Award), the following teams were respectively awarded: Anindita Hossain Rhine’s team, Sakib Sadi’s team, Tahjid Ahsan’s team, Nowrin Islam Rio’s team, and Tanvir Islam Sayem’s team.

Dr. Ratan Kumar Roy remarked, “The primary objective was to give recognition to the students who put their effort into making documentary films based on real social issues. Also, our goal is to engage students with civic and social issues.” During the Q&A Session, the creators were asked about the challenges they faced while gathering information or conducting interviews for the documentary.

Overall, with emphasis on student-produced documentary films addressing real social issues, the event not only provided a platform for creative expression but also fostered a deeper engagement with civic and social concerns, making it a truly worthwhile and meaningful event for all involved.