NY Film Festival 2023

Script & Direction: Rowshon Ara Nipa

Director and Scriptwriter Rowshon Ara Sarker ( born 1974, Bangladesh). Nipa is has committed her life to struggle alongside her community working as a community organizer for Drum- Desis Rising Up & Moving. Before coming to organizing, Nipa was a filmmaker and theater worker.

In 2004, she won an international Emmy for her journalistic work with unprivileged, working-class children. Her a few notable recognitions nationally and internationally :

32nd International Emmy Award in 2004 ( Documentary – Amrao pari – We can), Anannay Top Ten Achievers – 2005, Meena Media
Award – 2005,
BACSAS Award -2008

Festival Screening and recognition: International Emmy Festival -2004, USA Unesco Open Frame festival- 2005, India, International Peace Festival -2005, France, Golden Triangle International Festival film Festival – 2015 , Urisha , India. She is now working on a short and her 2nd feature film.

Direction: Deepak Rauniyar

Deepak Rauniyar is a Director, Screenwriter, and Producer. A former critic, he became the first Nepali filmmaker to compete at a major international film festival. His Debut Highway world premiered at the Berlinale 2012 and also played at the Locarno Film Festival. His Second White Sun premiered at the 2016 Venice Film Festival to rave reviews and screened world wild, winning awards at Venice, Singapore, and Palm Springs film festivals. He had served as a Jury member at Locarno and Sydne film festivals and Asia Pacific screen Awards Currently Rauniyer is Developing his third feature film.

Story & Direction: Rahman Leenin

I wanted to show the religious dissection through ‘Aynal’s’ innocent eyes and experience. The film ‘The Free Spirit’ especially illustrates how semi educated religious teachers influence children’s mind like ‘Aynal’. Also I wanted to tell stories of those orphans or their helpless, pious families. A children mind is like a ‘Grasshopper’. With this mind, he wants to know and discover his world. But, in most cases, their open minds are suppressed by religious misinterpretation. And these religious misinterpretation and tough routine disturbs their mind to grow. I hope children are raised with free spirit and their minds become like a ‘Grasshopper’.

Direction: Sagar Lohani

Sagar Lohani professionally is a journalist working for different print and broadcasting media including BBC World service. Besides journalism, he has been filming various documentary and fiction films for the last three decades. As he has a keen interest in historical events, many documentaries have been created by him. “My War for Freedom” is one of the history-based films.

Direction: Shamim Al Amin

Shamim Al Amin is a renowned Journalist, writer, and promising Documentary maker. He studied Mass Communication and journalism at Dhaka University and achieved First Class First and was also awarded the Mosud khan Gold Award in 2000. He served in different National Television as a TV journalist in Bangladesh, Traveled to many countries due to professional work and now He is a permanent resident of the USA. In his journalistic career, he achieved many national awards and recognitions for his, reporting, writings, and other extracurriculars.

Shamim Al-Amin produced and directed a well-appreciated documentary film Songs for a Country based on the event Concert for Bangladesh at Madison Square Garden in 1971.

Recently he made a documentary film named “Shadhinota ei Shobdoti kivabe amader holo” How We Won the Word Independent based on the poem of legendary Bangladeshi poet Nirmolendu Goon. The film was produced by Diapora Inc, USA. This Documentary showcased the historical speech of the father of the nation  Bangabandhu Shekh Mujibur Rahman , Bangladesh, on March 7, 1971.

Direction: Sazzad Boku

Sazzad Bokul is a Professor of dept. of Mass Communication and Journalism at Rajshahi University. He is a documentary filmmaker, Lyricist (enlisted in Bangladesh Television), and rhyme writer. He is also a film researcher. He made some documentary films including Dabanol, a movie on the 1969 mass mass uprising in Bangladesh’s national history. He is the president of the Rajshahi University Film Society.

Direction: Cecilia lim

Cecilia Lim (b. 1976) has been living and working in Queens, NY for half her life. Her work is informed by her experiences working alongside everyday people in the struggle for liberation, as a first generation US-born cis-female care and cultural worker of color. When Cecilia i not making films, she can be found assisting indivuduals and groups to navigate conflict and build relationships, and tening to plant kin.