About Us

FutureNation Film Fest 2026

FutureNation Film Fest (FNFF) is Bangladesh’s first future-focused independent film festival — founded and organized entirely by young independent filmmakers and students.

Born from the spirit of the youth, FNFF is a bold platform to uplift powerful short films from Bangladesh and beyond. We believe cinema is not just art.

It is resistance. It is identity. It is a signal to the state — that the stories of ordinary people, marginalized communities, and forgotten voices matter.

No entry fee . No gatekeeping . No compromise . Just fearless films and a new generation of storytellers .

FNFF 2026 marks our inaugural edition — held live in-person, bringing together filmmakers and audiences from Bangladesh and beyond under one roof.

FutureNation Film Fest

Team

Organizers

Aiub Uddin Shihab

Aiub Uddin Shihab

Festival Director & Founder

Mustak Muzahid

Mustak Muzahid

Head Of Programming

Debashis Barua

Debashis Barua

Head of Operations

Kayem Nur Manik

Kayem Nur Manik

Festival Manager (HR & Accounts)

Shazzad Shakil

Shazzad Shakil

Head of Sponsorship & Fundraising

Mehedi Hasan Bappy

Mehedi Hasan Bappy

Advisory Board Member

Rakayet Rabby

Rakayet Rabby

Advisory Board Member

Syed Sahil

Syed Sahil

Advisory Board Member

  Luhiraj Malsi

Luhiraj Malsi

Advisory Board Member

Sharafat Ali Shakawat

Sharafat Ali Shakawat

Advisory Board Member

Iftekar Ahmed Saymon

Iftekar Ahmed Saymon

Advisory Board Member

Submission

RULES

Independent Short Film1–15 min · Free EntryAny theme. Human rights, culture, satire, social impact, youth voices.
July DocumentaryNo restriction on length · Free EntryDocumentary films about the July 2024 Revolution in Bangladesh.
July Fiction1–20 min · Free EntryFictional films inspired by July 2024. Student priority.
International Short Film1–25 min · Free EntryAny theme. Human rights, culture, satire, social impact, youth voices.
International DocumentaryNo restriction on length · Free EntryAny theme.
1. Submission is completely free.There is no entry fee. 2. Submit only through the official website. 3. Each filmmaker can submit a maximum of 2 films per category. 4. A film can only be submitted in one category. 5. Films must have been produced in 2024 or 2025. 6. By submitting, you grant FNFF the right to screen your film during the festival. 7. Filmmakers retain full ownership of their work. 8. FNFF may disqualify any submitted film that violates these rules. 9. FNFF reserves the right to archive, publish, and use submitted materials for academic, commercial, and non-commercial purposes.
1. Submission is completely free. There is no entry fee. 2. Submissions must be made through the official website only. 3. Each filmmaker can submit a maximum of 2 films in this category. 4. A film can only be submitted in one category. 5. The film must have been made in 2024 or 2025. 6. By submitting, you grant FNFF the right to screen at the festival. 7. Filmmakers retain full ownership of their work. 8. FNFF reserves the right to disqualify any film that violates the rules. 9. Maximum length: 25 minutes. 10. External microphones, lenses, lighting tools, and tripods may be used. 11. Format: .mov / .avi / .mp4 12. Computer animation, VFX, or AI use must not exceed 30% of total duration. 13. Any editing software may be used in post-production. 14. Any theme accepted — human rights, culture, satire, social impact, youth voices, etc.
1. Submission is completely free. There is no entry fee. 2. Submissions must be made through the official website only. 3. Each filmmaker can submit a maximum of 2 films in this category. 4. A film can only be submitted in one category. 5. The film must have been made in 2024 or 2025. 6. By submitting, you grant FNFF the right to screen at the festival. 7. Filmmakers retain full ownership of their work. 8. FNFF reserves the right to disqualify any film that violates the rules. 9. No restriction on length — any duration may be submitted. 10. Must be a real-life incident or fact-based story. 11. Format: .mov / .avi / .mp4 12. Computer animation, VFX, or AI use must not exceed 30% of total duration. 13. Interviews, archival footage, and voiceover may be used. 14. Any editing software may be used in post-production.
1. Submission is completely free. There is no entry fee. 2. Submissions must be made through the official website only. 3. Each filmmaker can submit a maximum of 2 films in this category. 4. A film can only be submitted in one category. 5. The film must have been made in 2024 or 2025. 6. By submitting, you grant FNFF the right to screen at the festival. 7. Filmmakers retain full ownership of their work. 8. FNFF reserves the right to disqualify any film that violates the rules. 9. Maximum length: 30 minutes. 10. Any genre accepted — drama, animation, experimental, comedy, horror, etc. 11. Format: .mov / .avi / .mp4 12. Computer animation, VFX, or AI use must not exceed 30% of total duration. 13. Any editing software may be used in post-production. 14. This is the most open category — no restriction on genre.
1. Submission is completely free. There is no entry fee. 2. Submissions must be made through the official website only. 3. Each filmmaker can submit a maximum of 2 films in this category. 4. A film can only be submitted in one category. 5. Open to filmmakers from outside Bangladesh. 6. The film must have been made in 2024 or 2025. 7. By submitting, you are granting FNFF the right to screen at the festival. 8. Filmmakers retain full ownership of their work. 9. FNFF reserves the right to disqualify any film that violates the rules. 10. No restriction on the length of the film — any duration can be submitted. 11. Must be a real-life incident or fact-based story. 12. Format: .mov / .avi / .mp4 13. Computer Animation/VFX/AI use should be limited to a maximum of 30%. 14. Interviews, archival footage, and voiceover can be used. 15. Any editing software can be used in post-production. 16. English subtitles are mandatory for all non-English language films.
1. Submission is completely free. There is no entry fee. 2. Submissions must be made through the official website only. 3. Each filmmaker can submit a maximum of 2 films in this category. 4. A film can only be submitted in one category. 5. Open to filmmakers from outside Bangladesh. 6. The film must have been made in 2024 or 2025. 7. By submitting, you are granting FNFF the right to screen at the festival. 8. Filmmakers retain full ownership of their work. 9. FNFF reserves the right to disqualify any film that violates the rules. 10. Maximum length of the film is 25 minutes. 11. Any theme, any genre — open storytelling. 12. Format: .mov / .avi / .mp4 13. Computer Animation/VFX/AI use should be within 30% maximum. 14. Any editing software can be used in post-production. 15. English subtitles are mandatory for all non-English language films.
1. No entry fee is required. 2. The submission deadline is August 14, 2026. 3. After primary selection, you will be asked to submit a two-minutes (maximum) video of the making of the film/story (behind the scene), the film/story poster, director’s/maker’s photograph and biography, a scanned copy of both sides of the student identity card (for Short Film and July Fiction category only), and a scanned copy of the Birth Certificate/National ID/Passport.
1. Film must be produced in 2024 or 2025. 2. English or Bangla subtitles are required for all non-English films. 3. English subtitles are mandatory for films submitted for the Scarlet July category.
1. The film must be your own original work. 2. No copyrighted music or footage may be used without proper licensing or written permission. 3. Royalty-free or Creative Commons music is acceptable with proper attribution. 4. Plagiarism will result in immediate disqualification.
1. The Acceptance notification will be emailed on August 15, 2026. 2. The organisers may disqualify a film or story if they have reason to believe that it does not comply with the competition’s terms and conditions. 3. Selected films/stories will be screened at the festival on September 4, 2026. 4. FNFF reserves the right to withdraw the awards at any time if there is a formal complaint regarding violating intellectual property rights or festival rules.
Submit Your Film

Awards

& Prizes

Best Independent Short Film

Certificate + Award + Prize Money

Best July Documentary

Certificate + Award + Prize Money

Best July Fiction

Certificate + Award + Prize Money

Jury Special Mention

Certificate + Award

International Short Film

Certificate + Award

International Documentary

Certificate + Award

Media

Festival Highlights

Experience FutureNation Film Fest through exclusive behind-the-scenes moments, official trailers, filmmaker stories, and festival highlights.

Now Playing

Future Nation Film Fest 2026: Submissions Are Now OPEN!

Jury

Festival Jury

Jury

Coming Soon

Our distinguished festival jury will be announced soon. Stay tuned for updates.

Stay Informed

Notice Board

Submissions Now Open — FNFF 2026

NOTICE: The 1st FutureNation Film Fest 2026 is officially open for submissions. Submission Deadline: September 05, 2026. Entry Fee: Free Competition Categories: Best International Documentary,Best International Short Film,Best Independent Short Film, Best Scarlet July Documentary, Scarlet July Fiction. Submit your film through the official submission form available on this website. No Entry Fee. No Gatekeeping. Just Your Story. For any inquiries: futurenationfilmfest@gmail.com

Partners

Sponsors

Creation Freak

Creation Freak

Zero Film

Zero Film

Minerva Pictures

Minerva Pictures

Outline Solution

Outline Solution

Creation Freak

Creation Freak

Zero Film

Zero Film

Minerva Pictures

Minerva Pictures

Outline Solution

Outline Solution