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Dhaka DocLab

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dhaka DocLab
Logo of Dhaka DocLab
LocationDhaka, Bangladesh
Founded byNasiruddin Yousuff (Chairman), Tareq Ahmed (Director)
Most recent2025
AwardsIEFTA Award, Global Film & Media Initiative Award, Adhunika Award, Best Project Award, Second Best Project Award
DirectorsTareq Ahmed
Hosted byDhaka Independent Film Network (DIFN)
No. of films9 (as of 2025)
Festival dateAnnual (September)
LanguageBengali, English
Websitedhakadoclab.org

Dhaka DocLab (Bengali: ঢাকা ডকল্যাব) is an annual documentary film workshop, project market and pitching forum held in Dhaka, Bangladesh.[1][2] Established in 2017, it is organized by the Dhaka Independent Film Network (DIFN).[1][3] The event serves as a platform for documentary filmmakers from South Asia and the Asia-Pacific region to pitch projects, receive mentorship, and connect with international co-producers, broadcasters, and festival representatives.[4][5]

History

[edit]

Dhaka DocLab was established in 2017 by the Dhaka Independent Film Network (DIFN), a collective of Bangladeshi independent filmmakers.[1] Theater activist and filmmaker Nasiruddin Yousuff served as founding chairman, with media executive Tareq Ahmed as director.[1][2] The inaugural edition took place in September 2017 at the Liberation War Museum in Dhaka, inaugurated by Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor.[2]

The second edition in 2018 featured 15 documentary projects from Bangladesh, India and Nepal, with participants receiving mentoring from international industry professionals including representatives of the Berlin International Film Festival.[6] The third edition in 2019 expanded to include filmmakers from Bhutan and Sri Lanka, with 16 projects presented.[7]

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fifth edition in 2020 was held online.[8] Subsequent editions adopted hybrid or online formats.[8] The 8th edition in 2024 featured 19 projects from 10 countries and was dedicated to the memories of the martyrs of the July revolution.[9] The 9th edition in 2025 concluded with participants from nine countries including Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Singapore and Ukraine.[10]

Programme

[edit]

The annual programme includes project pitching sessions, mentorship workshops, masterclasses, and one-on-one industry meetings.[2][6] Projects are divided into categories including South Asian Projects, Asia-Pacific Projects, and Work-in-Progress projects.[3]

Participating decision-makers and mentors have included representatives from the Berlin International Film Festival, European Documentary Network, Sheffield DocFest, Dok Leipzig, IDFA, and the International Emerging Film Talent Association (IEFTA).[2][7][11] Each filmmaker typically receives a presentation slot of seven minutes, with four minutes to describe their story and theme and three minutes to screen a trailer.[2]

Awards

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At the conclusion of each edition, several grants and awards are distributed to selected projects. The main awards have included:

  • Best Project Award – awarded to the top documentary project, with prize money from sponsors.[6] In 2018, the award carried a cash prize of BDT 1,50,000 from the Bengal Foundation.[6]
  • Second Best Project Award – awarded to the runner-up project.[6] In 2018, the award included Tk 100,000 from Channel i.[6]
  • IEFTA Award – a €2000 cash prize presented by the International Emerging Film Talent Association (IEFTA) to selected projects.[12][13] In 2023, the prize was awarded to Kazi Arefin Ahmed for his project Opekkha.[13]
  • IEFTA Mentorship Prize – awarded to projects for mentorship opportunities.[14]
  • DocEdge Kolkata Award – presented in collaboration with DocEdge Kolkata.[14]

Industry initiatives

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The Dhaka DocImpact Lab (DDIL), an initiative of Dhaka DocLab, was launched to empower documentary filmmakers from South Asia. The first edition featured a three-day workshop with six documentary projects by young Bangladeshi filmmakers.[15][16] The organization has conducted workshops on non-fiction storytelling for Bangladeshi women filmmakers.[17]

In partnership with the British Council and the Wales One World Film Festival, Dhaka DocLab produced the Bangladesh-Cymru Climate Stories project, which supported four short documentary films focused on climate change.[18][19] The project was funded by the British Council's International Collaboration Programme.[18]

In 2025, the British Council commissioned Dhaka DocLab to conduct a comprehensive policy review of Bangladesh's film industry. The study, titled "Cinema as a Creative Industry: Mapping Bangladesh's Film Ecosystem and Inclusive Growth Potential", was led by principal researcher Dr Imran Firdaus.[20][21]

Dhaka DocLab has also participated in international film events. In 2026, it was part of a showcase of work-in-progress documentary films from Bangladesh at the Sheffield DocFest MeetMarket.[5]

Organization

[edit]

Dhaka DocLab is organized by the Dhaka Independent Film Network (DIFN), a platform of independent filmmakers in Bangladesh.[1][2] The founding chairman is Nasiruddin Yousuff and Tareq Ahmed serves as director.[1][2] Trustee board members have included Luva Nahid Chowdhury, Samia Zaman, and N Rashed Chowdhury.[7] The event has been held at the Liberation War Museum in Dhaka.[2]

Recognition

[edit]

Dhaka DocLab has been described as a "pioneer platform" for pitching and mentoring documentary filmmakers.[22] It has been featured as a case study in discussions on documentary filmmaking in South Asia.[3] The event has received coverage from national media outlets including Prothom Alo, New Age, The Daily Star, The Business Standard and The Asian Age.[1][2][10]

In 2024, the 8th edition of Dhaka DocLab was dedicated to the martyrs of the July revolution.[9]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 যাত্রা শুরু করল 'ঢাকা ডক ল্যাব' ['Dhaka Doc Lab' begins its journey]. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 6 June 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Dhaka Doclab begins Aug 31". New Age. 2 March 2026. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 "Dhaka Doc Lab". ASEF culture360. 21 May 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  4. ↑ "Partners – Documentary Resource Initiative". DocResi. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  5. 1 2 "New Stories, Emerging Authors: Showcase of Work in Progress from Bangladesh". Sheffield DocFest. 2026. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Dhaka DocLab ends". New Age. 14 March 2026. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 "Curtain lifts on Dhaka Doclab". New Age. 20 October 2025. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  8. 1 2 "Dhaka Doclab to be held online". New Age. 7 December 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  9. 1 2 "Dhaka DocLab 2024: A Successful 8th Edition". Dhaka DocLab. 2 October 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  10. 1 2 "Dhaka DocLab's 9th edition concludes". The Asian Age. 20 August 2025. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  11. ↑ "Applications called for int'l docu film workshop". New Age. 28 March 2026. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  12. ↑ "Winner Announced for the IEFTA/IEFTF Dhaka DocLab €2000 Cash Award 2024". IEFTA. 8 October 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  13. 1 2 "IEFTA's €2000 Prize Awarded to Bangladeshi Filmmaker at 2023 Dhaka DocLab online". IEFTA. 14 September 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  14. 1 2 "'An Insignia of a Forced Winter' wins Best Project at Dhaka DocLab-2020". New Age. 5 October 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  15. ↑ "Dhaka DocImpact Lab starts its journey". New Age. 22 January 2026. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  16. ↑ "Dhaka DocImpact Lab concludes". New Age. 4 March 2026. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  17. ↑ "Non-fiction storytelling workshop concludes". New Age. 23 February 2026. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  18. 1 2 "Dhaka DocLab, British Council showcase 4 climate documentaries". New Age. 3 October 2025. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  19. ↑ "Bangladeshi filmmakers receive grant from British Council for portraying climate change stories". The Business Standard. 28 June 2026. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  20. ↑ "British Council launches policy review on Bangladesh's film industry". The Daily Star. 18 December 2025. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  21. ↑ "British Council to publish landmark Study on Bangladesh's film industry". The Business Standard. 26 November 2025. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  22. ↑ "Dhaka DocLab". IEFTA. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
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