Bangladeshi short film ‘Lok’ has secured a place in the flagship Fantastic Shorts category of the prestigious Fantastic Film Festival (FFF) in the US.
This marks director Mahmuda Sultana Rima’s first international competition entry, although she made several shorts during her student years.
Describing the film, Rima said, “Lok is a metaphorical story; a blend of horror and folklore. Through it, we wanted to highlight aspects of society in a symbolic way. We tried to create a space between reality and fantasy where the audience questions themselves.”
“Any recognition is a joy. Having our film compete on an international stage is wonderful news for us,” she added.
The lead role in Lok is played by Tanjina Rahman Tasneem. Reflecting on the experience, she said, “Lok is one of the most special projects of my life. I’m grateful the director trusted me with such a role. While working on it, I never imagined the film would receive appreciation beyond Bangladesh. It’s a source of pride for our whole team.”
The cast also includes Zahidul Haque Apu, Rizvi Riju, Limon, Shehreen Khan, Al-Amin Hasan Nirjhar, Adel Imam Anup, Ibne Noor Rakib, Saifur Ratul, Anik, Saikat and others.
FFF, held annually in Austin, Texas since 2005, is the largest and most popular genre film festival in the US, showcasing horror, science fiction, fantasy, action and cult cinema.
Over the years it has premiered films such as ‘Smile’, ‘John Wick’, ‘Zombieland’ and ‘There Will Be Blood’. The 20th edition of the festival will run from September 18 to 25.