The short film ‘Ali’ from Bangladesh has been selected for the Short Film Competition at the 78th Cannes Film Festival. Directed by Adnan Al Rajib, this 15-minute film will compete in one of the festival’s most prestigious categories. The list of selected films was announced earlier today, and ‘Ali’ was confirmed to be among the chosen ones. The director later shared the news in a press release.
The film is produced by Bangladesh’s Tanveer Hossain and the Philippines’ Kristine D. Leon. The production company handling the project is Runout Films from Bangladesh.
Tanveer Hossain, the producer, commented on the achievement, saying, “In our country, short films are often not given much importance. However, it is through such works that future great filmmakers emerge. ‘Ali’ being selected for Cannes is proof that Bangladesh can create films that meet international standards.”
Adnan Al Rajib, the director, shared that the film was shot in Sylhet in November 2024. While not revealing too much about the plot, he mentioned that the story explores an inevitable truth through personal experiences. “We aimed to tell the story in a simple, honest way,” he said.
The film’s executive producer, Habibur Rahman Tarek, expressed his confidence in the project from the very beginning. “I personally know both the director and producer, and I had no doubts about the quality of their work,” he said. “From the start, I was confident that this film would appeal to international audiences.”
The film ‘Ali’ is produced under the banner of Catalog, a production company formed by Adnan Al Rajib, Tanveer Hossain, Kristine D. Leon, and Arvin Belarmino. The company was created to foster collaboration among filmmakers in South and Southeast Asia. ‘Ali’ (Bangladesh) and ‘Agapito’ (Philippines) are two films produced under Catalog and both have been selected for the main competition at Cannes, vying for the prestigious Palme d’Or.
It is a rare achievement for two films from the same production company to be selected for Cannes. This marks a proud moment for Bangladesh’s cinema, as the country gains significant recognition at one of the world’s most renowned film festivals.
