News
The 24th Dhaka International Film Festival (DIFF 2026) began today and will continue until January 18, 2026, marking the start of one of the most prestigious international cultural events in Bangladesh. This year’s festival is being held at multiple venues in Dhaka, including Alliance Française de Dhaka, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Bangladesh National Museum, and Stamford University Bangladesh. The festival will showcase 245 films from 91 countries, including Bangladesh, celebrating the diversity and richness of world cinema.
This year, Stamford University Bangladesh has joined the festival as an official Venue Partner, and film screenings are being held at the Stamford University Auditorium from January 10 to January 15. At this venue, screenings will take place four times daily at 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM, and 5:00 PM. The screenings are open to all, and entry is free.
Before the start of the screenings on Saturday, January 10, an inauguration ceremony was held at Stamford University Auditorium. The festival screenings at Stamford University were formally inaugurated by the Vice-Chancellor (Acting) of the university, Prof. Dr. Md. Younus Mia. At the ceremony, Treasurer Prof. Dr. Mohammad Jeaul Hasan, Registrar Muhammad Abdul Matin, Professor Dr. Matin Rahman (Chairman of the Department of Film and Media), Ferdous Alam Siddique (Assistant Professor, Department of Film and Media), Md. Motaher Hossain (Finance Director), Prodeepto Mobarook (Head of Public Relations Division), along with chairmen of various departments, faculty members, officers, and students of the university were present. It is worth mentioning that the main inauguration ceremony of the 24th Dhaka International Film Festival was held on Saturday at 4:00 PM at the auditorium of the Bangladesh National Museum.
At Stamford University Auditorium, four films are being screened on the opening day, January 10, 2026. The day’s screenings include Tri Svadbi i Odin Pobeg (Three Weddings and One Escape) from Abkhazia/Russia, Matsarak (Scarecrow) from Austria/Iran, Odiseja e Gëzimit (Odyssey of Joy) from Kosovo, and Fabula, a co-production from the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. At the Stamford University Auditorium, four films will also be screened from India/Papua New Guinea, Pismo (The Letter) from Russia, Hao Hao Shuo Zai Jian (The Shore of Life) from China, and Baq e Moz (The Banana Garden) from Iran.
The Dhaka International Film Festival, organized regularly by Rainbow Film Society since 1977, is recognized as the most prestigious international film festival in Bangladesh and plays a significant role in promoting world cinema and cultural exchange. The nine-day festival will conclude with an awards ceremony on January 18, 2026.
