The 8th edition of Dhaka DocLab concluded successfully, showcasing an impressive 19 projects from 10 countries. Due to the unforeseen circumstances,Dhaka DocLab 2024 transitioned to a hybrid format . This year’s Dhaka DocLab was dedicated to the memories of the martyrs of the July revolution. Tributes were given to the students of Bangladesh who expressed their hopes and aspirations through graffiti. This year, the selected projects were divided into two categories: Rough Cut/Working in Progress and Development. The Rough Cut category featured five remarkable projects, including A Journey Never Told from Bangladesh, A Place Where Rhododendrons Bloom from Nepal, Historic Days with Xiao from the Philippines, Minutiae of Memories from India, and Walking Gently from Turkey. Additionally, the Development category included a diverse range of projects, reflecting the rich storytelling potential across various cultures and regions.
Throughout the event, nine mentors provided invaluable support and expertise to participants, fostering an environment of creativity and collaboration. The mentors included notable figures such as Audrius Stonys from Lithuania, Sean Joseph McAllister from the UK, Jane Elizabeth Mote from the UK, Yukari Sasaki from Japan, Karolina Suzanna Lidin from Denmark, Jia Zhao from China, Nilotpal Mojumdar from India, Oliver Vere Huddleston from the UK, and Tao Gu from China. The event also attracted a distinguished group of decision makers from around the globe, providing participants with unique networking opportunities. Decision makers included Christilla Odile Huillard Kann, Producer and Co-founder of Elda Productions; Alaidaroos Mustafa Alim, Documentary Producer at DocHouse; Gune Hyoung, Executive Producer at Korea Educational Broadcasting System (EBS Korea); Sai Abishek, Head of Factual and Lifestyle Cluster, South Asia at Warner Bros. Discovery; and Mita Suri, Film Programme Manager at Sheffield DocFest. Others included Ragnhild EK, Chairperson of the Global Film and Media Initiative; Yukari Sasaki, Senior Producer at NHK Enterprises; Jane Elizabeth Mote, Editorial Consultant at The Whickers; Alex Lee, Co-founder and Director at DocEdge New Zealand; Lianne Llewellyn, Head of Development at the International Emerging Film Talent Association; Ruby Chen, Co-founder and CEO of CNEX Foundation; and Quincy Qiu, Director of IDF Competition at West Lake International Documentary Festival.
The program schedule included workshops, pitching sessions, and one-on-one meetings, facilitating deep engagement and mentorship for the participants. The workshops took place online from August 26 to 29, 2024, followed by pitching sessions on September 3 and 4 and one-on-one meetings from September 5 to 7. The closing ceremony was held as a hybrid event on September 9, 2024, celebrating the achievements of the participants. The British Council served as a key sponsor for this year’s Dhaka DocLab, helping to enhance the overall experience. We were honored to have Stephen Forbes, Country Director of the British Council, and Sadia Rahman, Head of Arts, along with Luva Nahid Chowdhury, Director General of Bengal Foundation, as our esteemed guests, all of whom added significant value to the event.
While Dhaka DocLab awarded two prizes in the previous year, we presented only one award this year due to unforeseen circumstances that prevented the distribution of more. The awards presented were as follows:
The awards were presented by Ragnhild EK, Chairperson of the Global Film and Media Initiative; Alex Lee, Co-founder and Director of DocEdge New Zealand; and Lianne Llewellyn, Head of Development at the International Emerging Film Talent Association.
Notable partners for Dhaka DocLab 2024 included the British Council, the Global Film and Media Initiative, DocEdge New Zealand, the International Emerging Film Talent Association, and DocEdge Kolkata. The success of Dhaka DocLab 2024 would not have been possible without the collective efforts of our mentors, decision makers, partners, and, most importantly, the talented filmmakers who participated. We look forward to continuing to support and nurture the documentary filmmaking community in the years to come.