The red carpet is being rolled out for the Bengali Film Festival of Dallas, returning Aug 1-3 for its eighth year bringing a weekend of cinema, culture and couture to the Angelika Film Center.
This year's festival promises its most ambitious lineup, with three days of South Asian films, celebrity appearances and a fashion showcase inspired by a 500-year-old Bengali embroidery tradition.
“If you are a lifelong film lover or the curious newcomer, Bengali Film Festival of Dallas is the ticket to experience the cinema that speaks in the language of the soul,” said founder Tariq Yasin Uzwal.
Uzwal launched the festival in 2016, drawing inspiration from the global Satyajit Ray Film Festival. His goal is to introduce Dallas to authentic South Asian storytelling and offer a cultural home for North Texas’ growing Bangladeshi community. Last year’s festival drew nearly 1,000 attendees. This year, Uzwal expects over 1,300 attendees.
“It is a homecoming of the heritage and a cinematic dialogue between the East and West,” he said.
The newest edition to this year’s festival is “Nakshikanthar Chhobi,” a fashion show and exhibition that highlights Bengali hand-embroidered quilting. The exhibition is on display all three days of the festival while the fashion show starts on Saturday at 4 p.m. Both will feature runway pieces from designers and artisans from India and Bangladesh, blending heirloom techniques with modern silhouettes.
Throughout the weekend, attendees can catch a range of feature films and shorts from indie debuts to international selections such as Padatik, a biopic about legendary Indian filmmaker Mrinal Sen. Each screening will be followed by panel discussions with directors, producers and actors from across the South Asian diaspora, such as Bangladeshi actor Chanchal Chowdhury.
“This will be [a] different experience for everybody. I'm not talking about Bengalis, for everybody it will be a different exhibition and different experience,” Uzwal said.
Details:
6:30 p.m. August 1 to 3 at Angelika Film Center, 5321 E. Mockingbird Lane #230. $70. srijonerhut.com
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