Liberation DocFest Bangladesh is an international documentary film festival dedicated to documentary cinema and to stories exploring liberation, human rights, justice, memory, identity, and contemporary social realities. The festival seeks to encourage diverse forms of documentary storytelling and new ways of looking at human struggle and suffering from a global perspective.
The Liberation War Museum is the main venue of Liberation DocFest Bangladesh. Depending on the festival edition and programme, additional venues may also be included. Previous editions have featured programmes at venues such as the Bangladesh Film Archive and Alliance Française de Dhaka.
No. Although the festival is organized by the Liberation War Museum and has a strong connection to Bangladesh’s history of liberation, its scope is international. It explores liberation and human rights struggles in different parts of the world, along with broader themes of justice, memory, conflict, identity, and human experience.
For information about film submissions, eligibility, submission guidelines, deadlines, and submission categories, please visit our Film Submission page.
Information about the competition categories, awards, and prizes is available on our Awards & Competition page.
The festival is open to film enthusiasts, filmmakers, students, researchers, academics, cultural practitioners, human-rights advocates, and any general public.
Yes. Liberation DocFest Bangladesh has historically presented workshops, masterclasses, filmmaker discussions, panel conversations and other educational or public programmes alongside film screenings.
Yes. Liberation DocFest Bangladesh runs an outreach programme for students and young audiences. Through this programme, students from different educational institutions are invited to attend documentary film screenings and engage in conversations and discussions with filmmakers and other film professionals.
Liberation DocFest Bangladesh also publishes a call for volunteers for each edition of the festival. Festival volunteers assist the organizing team with pre-festival, during-festival, and post-festival activities.
Please note that all festival volunteer positions are completely unpaid and voluntary.
No. Food and drinks are not allowed inside the screening rooms.
A cafeteria is available at the festival venue, where visitors can purchase and enjoy snacks and drinks. Please consume food and beverages in the designated cafeteria area rather than inside the screening rooms.
Yes, but please follow the festival’s photography and recording guidelines.
Journalists, reporters, stringers, and freelance photographers covering the festival must register with the festival organizers and declare their professional role. Registered media representatives must wear the badge or ID card provided by the festival organizers while covering festival activities.
During film screenings, audiences may take still photographs. However, the festival strongly discourages video recording of films. Where a short video recording is necessary, it should be limited to no more than 5–7 seconds and must not interfere with the screening or other audience members’ experience.
Journalists who require a film clip for legitimate news or media coverage may contact the festival organizers. Where possible, the festival can connect the journalist with the filmmaker or rights holder to request the necessary footage directly.
The festival does not have permission to provide or distribute film clips from the films screened at the festival.