A short film produced by students of Jahangirnagar University (JU) has earned international recognition at a film festival in Greece.
The experimental short film- 'The Haze'- received an honourable mention in the best original
score and soundtrack category at the Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival 2025, one of Greece's notable platforms for independent and art cinema.
Produced under the banner of Bangla Theatre, the film earlier secured official selection at several international festivals, including the 6th India International Star Film Festival Awards and the Amader International Short Film Festival 2025 in Kolkata.
The film was jointly produced by Bangla Theatre and Kabyik School of Arts.
Directed and edited by Nasir Khandaker, a student of the Department of Bangla at Jahangirnagar University, 'The Haze' is a 16-minute dialogue-free psychological film.
In the absence of spoken words, background music plays a central role in conveying the narrative.
The film's original score and sound design were composed by Aniruddha Hriday, who translated the characters' psychological breakdown, emotional tension, and the passage of time into a layered musical expression.
Commenting on the achievement, Aniruddha said, "The recognition is an important moment for the international presence of Bangladeshi film composition. The Haze allowed me to use music not as a substitute for dialogue, but as the primary language of storytelling."
The core concept of the film was developed by Sajal Das, while Jemima Jerin Raima served as the art director. Cinematography was performed by Nabil Mostafa.
The cast features Golam Faruk Joy, Urmi Chakraborty, Chan Mia, and Professor Tarek Reza of the Department of Bangla, among others.
Founded on Pahela Baishakh in 2022 by a group of students from the JU Bangla Department,
Bangla Theatre operates with the motto "Art, literature and creativity."
Alongside stage productions, the platform remains actively engaged in visual media.
Another short film produced by Bangla Theatre, 'Half to Infinity', directed by Sajjadul Shuvo, has also been selected at Italy's Vision Film Festival and two film festivals in India.
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