Chattogram is preparing to roll out the red carpet for the first edition of the Chattogram International All Women Film Festival (CIAWFF) 2025, a three-day event dedicated to celebrating women filmmakers worldwide.
The festival will run from September 4 to 6 at the Alliance Française de Chittagong, with daily screenings between 4:00 pm and 8:00 pm, open to the public.
According to the organisers, the initiative is designed to highlight the voices of women directors, offering a global stage for their films and documentaries. The festival is being jointly organised by Film for Us and the Asian University for Women (AUW) Film Club, with support from ConnectHER.
The competition section of CIAWFF 2025 includes 13 entries: seven fiction films and six documentaries.
Beyond the competitive lineup, the festival will screen 12 Palestinian films and 15 works from ConnectHER, broadening its scope with diverse perspectives and urgent stories.
The programming is spread across three thematic days:
September 4: The festival will open with an inauguration ceremony, followed by screenings of the films selected for the competition.
September 5: A showcase of 12 Palestinian films created by independent women filmmakers, presenting powerful narratives of resilience under extreme circumstances.
September 6: The festival will close with 15 ConnectHER films, the awards ceremony for competition winners and an official closing event.
Festival Director Masudur Rahman said preparations are in full swing. “This first edition brings together women filmmakers from five countries. Their stories reflect resilience, struggle and hope, and we want audiences here to experience that,” he said.
Celebrated filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, serving as Cultural Affairs Adviser, praised the initiative, saying, “It’s inspiring to see Bangladesh host a festival dedicated to women filmmakers. Such a platform is vital to amplify their voices and their work.”
Sadia Afrin, co-founder of Film for Us, described the festival’s focus as deeply personal, “These films are more than art; they are lived experiences, mirrors of society, and fearless acts of expression.”
Echoing that spirit, Sumaiya Bushra, president of the AUW Film Club, added, “This festival is our collective answer to the call for more inclusive storytelling.”
