The Film Center of the Liberation War Museum is dedicated to preserving and promoting the cinematic memory of Bangladesh’s Liberation War, and to promoting documentary filmmaking as a powerful medium for exploring human rights, collective memory, and social justice.
It has been home to Liberation DocFest Bangladesh, one of the country’s foremost international documentary film festivals, providing a platform for domestic and international filmmakers to share stories centered on themes of liberation, freedom, and human rights.
Beyond the festival, the Film Center conducts specialized filmmaking workshops and masterclasses led by local and international mentors, welcoming participants at every level of experience. Through regular film screenings and public discussions, the Film Center brings together filmmakers, scholars, researchers, students, and cultural practitioners to engage with the history of the Liberation War, collective memory, justice, and contemporary social challenges.
Liberation DocFest Bangladesh is an international documentary film festival organized by the Liberation War Museum since 2006. It has grown into one of Bangladesh’s foremost platforms for documentary cinema, providing domestic and international filmmakers alike with the opportunity to showcase works centered on themes of liberation, freedom, and human rights.
The festival presents two awards, one each for the best documentary in the national and international competition categories. Eligible filmmakers may submit recent documentaries to either category, with prizes of BDT 100,000 (national category) and USD 1,000 (international category).
To learn more about Liberation DocFest Bangladesh, visit liberationdocfestbd.org
With the goal of inspiring future generations through the stories and struggles of the Liberation War and human rights, the Film Center conducts specialized filmmaking workshops open to participants at all levels, from beginners to advanced filmmakers, led by both local and international mentors and facilitators.
# Exposition of Young Film Talents (EYFT)
The Exposition of Young Film Talents is a documentary project development workshop and funding initiative established by the Liberation War Museum. Through this programmed, the Museum invites project proposals from young and aspiring filmmakers across Bangladesh, offering financial support to those seeking to create documentaries on human rights, with a particular emphasis on Bangladesh’s struggle for independence.
Selected proposals are brought together for a one or two-phase intensive workshop, culminating in a pitching session on the final day, during which a jury selects the strongest documentary concepts for funding. Each year, two or three projects are awarded production grants and research and development grants.
Note: The funding for documentary projects is currently postponed.# Sultana’s Dream | Sultana’s Dream: Styles, Perspectives and Aspirations
This workshop was a month-long program held from 16 October to 15 November 2025, comprising nine sessions. The workshop was designed for individuals interested in independently producing films, from shooting to editing, as well as those eager to explore contemporary realities through the aesthetic, ideological, and aspirational lens of Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain’s Sultana’s Dream.
As a key outcome, participants collectively produced approximately 18 short films, each ranging from 2 to 5 minutes in length, demonstrating diverse themes and innovative approaches.
# Animating Memory: A Creative Journey with Isabel Herguera
The masterclass was a specialized session held as part of a broader film and art initiative, bringing participants into the creative world of acclaimed Spanish animator and filmmaker Isabel Herguera. Hosted on 13 December 2025, the session explored animation as a medium for expressing memory, emotion, and personal narratives. Participants gained not only technical insights but also a broader philosophical understanding of animation as a deeply expressive and reflective art form rooted in identity, culture, and lived experience.
# Directing Stories: Memory, Place and Identity
Organized jointly by the Film Center of the Liberation War Museum and Goopy Bagha Productions Limited, the workshop was facilitated by Irish filmmaker Bob Gallagher, cinematographer Raja Nundlall, and artist Salvatore of Lucan. It explored how personal memories, spatial environments, and identity inform cinematic storytelling. Participants engaged in hands-on exercises, discussions, and mentorship sessions, learning to translate lived experiences and culturally grounded narratives into short films.
The Film Center also organizes a variety of workshops throughout the year.
The Film Center regularly organizes film screenings and public discussions that encourage audiences to engage with the history of Bangladesh’s Liberation War, human rights issues, collective memory, justice, identity, and contemporary social challenges. These programs serve as an important platform for dialogue, bringing together filmmakers, scholars, researchers, students, cultural practitioners, and the general public to exchange ideas and perspectives through cinema.
By presenting documentaries, experimental works, archival films, and independent productions, the Film Center promotes a deeper understanding of historical events and their continuing relevance today. Screenings are often followed by Q&A sessions and conversations with filmmakers and invited speakers, creating opportunities for critical reflection and public engagement.
Notable Screenings
# Bay of Blood (2023), Directed by Krishnendu Bose
# The 1971 War: In the Eyes of Pakistanis (2023), Directed by Amirul Arham
# A Missing Can of Film (2025), Directed by Naeem Mohaiemen, inspired by the cinematic legacy of Zahir Raihan
The Film Center also organizes various community engagement initiatives to foster collaboration and lasting connections among documentary filmmakers, film enthusiasts, and cultural practitioners.
One such initiative is the Liberation Doc Community, a platform dedicated to bringing together individuals who have been formally associated with the activities of Liberation DocFest Bangladesh. The community serves as a space for members to stay connected, exchange ideas, celebrate achievements, and support one another’s ongoing creative and professional endeavors. The community primarily consists of members of the festival’s selection committee, festival volunteers, filmmakers and producers whose works have been selected for the festival, participants and trainers from various training programs.