Bangladeshi short film “Ali” directed by Adnan Al Rajeev has been officially selected for the prestigious Official Competition at the Festival de Cannes.
The confirmation of this news was shared by the festival authorities along with the announcement of films nominated in the short film category on Friday.
In a post on Facebook Rajeev announced this news on Friday. “Some journeys don’t start with a script. They begin with a quiet belief — that the stories from where we come from deserve a place on the world’s biggest stages. ‘ALI’ was that belief. Directed by me, ALI has been selected for the Official Competition at the Festival de Cannes. It feels surreal — I could hardly believe the news. But it’s real. A testament to what friendship, madness, and relentless faith can create.
Last year, I stood at Cannes as a producer. This year, I return as a director — and this time, we’ve stepped into the Official Competition! But no one walks this path alone — cinema was never meant to be a solo journey. It’s beautiful chaos, a symphony of hearts beating together," he wrote.
The film is produced by Bangladeshi film producer Tanveer Hossain and the Philippines' Kristine De Leon.
The 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival will take place from May 13 to May 23. This year, a total of 11 films will compete in the Short Film category, and Bangladesh’s 'Ali' is one of the contenders in the category.
