Entertainment Desk:

The 21st edition of the Kazan International Film Festival in Russia is set to begin on September 5. It was earlier announced that two Bangladeshi films— the short film “The Pair of White Pigeons” and the documentary “Mighty Afrin: In the Time of Floods”— had secured spots in this year’s lineup. Now, another Bangladeshi film, “Mastul”, has been added to the festival. The news has been confirmed by the film’s director, Mohammad Nuruzzaman.

“Mastul” has not been selected for the main competition at Kazan but for a special category. According to a press release from the Kazan International Film Festival, ten films have been chosen outside the main competition for the special section titled “Russia–Islamic World”. This segment focuses on themes of humanity and compassion. “Mastul” will be screened as part of that category.

“Mastul” is based on the story of sailors floating on water. The film features performances by Fazlur Rahman Babu, Deepak Suman, Aminur Rahman Mukul, Arif Hasan, Shikdar Mukit, and Sifat Bannya, among others. In addition to the Kazan Festival, “Mastul” has also been nominated for the ImagineIndia International Film Festival, scheduled to be held in Spain this September.

The short film “The Pair of White Pigeons”, which has secured a spot at the Kazan Festival, is directed by Shahriar Azad Shaumik. According to the filmmaker, the story revolves around a pair of pigeons and is deeply connected to memories of his childhood in his village.

On the other hand, the documentary “Mighty Afrin: In the Time of Floods” portrays the story of a brave girl named Afrin. Twelve-year-old Afrin lives on a remote island in the Brahmaputra River, where a sudden flood changes everything. Forced to become a climate refugee, she embarks on a challenging journey to find her father. The documentary features performances by Afrin Khanam, Bannya Akter, and Firoza Begum, among others, and is directed by Angelos Rallis.