Celebrating the Finest of Bengali Cinema - Suchitra Sen International Bengali Film Festival 2024.

The Suchitra Sen International Bengali Film Festival (Suchitra Sen IBFF) is a prestigious 2-day event celebrating the best of contemporary and classical Bengali cinema while paying tribute to the legendary actress Suchitra Sen.

Taking place across April 20-21, 2024 at Jamaica Performing Arts Center, Queens, New York City, this is the premiere American film festival devoted to Bengali movies from India and Bangladesh.

IBFF 2024 brings screenings of dozens of critically acclaimed features, shorts and documentaries for American fans and global audiences by renowned directors. Our jury also nominates and awards the most creative entries across multiple film submission categories.

For its milestone 2024 edition, Suchitra Sen IBFF offers Bengali filmmakers an ideal channel for overseas distribution and exhibition. Be part of the festival program at one of New York’s landmark cinema venues this spring!

We welcome your film entry submission now on FilmFreeway!

Awards & Prizes

Awards & Honors at Suchitra Sen IBFF 2024

The Suchitra Sen International Bengali Film Festival takes great pride in recognizing the finest creative works and talent in contemporary Bengali cinema emerging from both India and Bangladesh.

For Feature Films, awards will be presented in the following categories:
• Best Feature Film (1 winner from Bangladesh & 1 from India)
• Best Director (1 winner from Bangladesh & 1 from India)
• Best Actor in a Leading Role - Male (1 winner from Bangladesh & 1 from India)
• Best Actor in a Leading Role - Female (1 winner from Bangladesh & 1 from India)
• Best Cinematography (1 winner from Bangladesh & 1 from India)

The Short Films category winner will be:
• Best Short Film (1 winner from Bangladesh & 1 from India)

The Documentary Films category winner will be:
• Best Documentary Film (1 winner from Bangladesh & 1 from India)

Special Jury Award:
• Creative Excellence by an NRI (Non-residence Indian)/NRB (Non-residence Bangladeshi) associated with Bengali Film Industry (across India, Bangladesh & abroad)

Popular Film Award:

Public Choice from India and Bangladesh

In addition to awards decided by our esteemed jury, Suchitra Sen IBFF 2024 introduces a special new honor celebrating cinema that strikes a chord with audiences - the Popular Film Award.

One Indian and one Bangladeshi film screening at the festival will receive this distinction based solely on votes from viewers. Festival attendees will be able to cast their vote for their favorite feature at the venue.

We also open up online public voting from March 15 onwards to encompass the wider film-loving community. The film from each country with the highest number of global votes across both in-person and online ballots will be honored as the Popular Film (India) and Popular Film (Bangladesh) at IBFF 2024's Closing Night ceremony.

These prestigious honors decided by acclaimed international jurors aim to celebrate cinema's finest talents and storytelling both on and off screen from the homeland and diaspora. Also, these public choice Awards give power directly to the people to recognize the feature films that impressed them the most.

Join and Help us celebrate mass entertainment and films cherished widely by applauding your preferred Indian and Bangladeshi selections under the banner of the inaugural Popular Film category at Suchitra Sen IBFF 2024!

Rules & Terms

Suchitra Sen IBFF 2024 - Festival Regulations and Entry Guidelines:

1. GENERAL:
The Suchitra Sen International Bengali Film Festival (IBFF) is organized by the Suchitra Sen Memorial USA to celebrate the best of Bangladeshi and Bengali films annually. By submitting your film/entry to the festival, you automatically agree to abide by these rules.

2.ELIGIBILITY
i) Only Bengali language feature films, shorts and documentaries Completed after Jan 1, 2022 are eligible
ii) The primary director/producer must be of Bengali origin from West Bengal (India) or Bangladesh
iii) Films may premiere at IBFF 2024 ONLY IF it hasn't publicly released online/ theatrically before March 25, 2024.

3. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
i) All films must be submitted via online screener link or DVDs along with the entry registration forms and preview media online/post.
ii) Complete film details like credits, synopsis, tech specs etc. must be provided accurately.
iii) Physical media must reach the festival office directly. Courier charges will be borne by the applicant
iv) IBFF 2024 is not liable for any damage to submitted DVDs/media entries
v) Late/incomplete entries or not meeting eligibility criteria will be disqualified.

4. ENTRY VIA FILMFREEWAY.COM
i) Interested participants to create a https://filmfreeway.com/ account and submitter profile
ii) Select the suitable category/categories and submit entries
iii) Upload film preview screener link during submission or later via your https://filmfreeway.com/ account dashboard
iv) Preview media link sharing access must be granted to the IBFF screening committee

5. TECHNICAL SPECS
i) File Formats: H.264 MP4/MOV, DCP
ii) Resolution: Minimum 1080p Full HD, higher preferred
iii) Aspect Ratio: 16:9 native, other widescreen ratios allowed
iv) Subtitles: Non-English films must have accurate English subtitles in .SRT format
v) Sound: Clear and consistent audio throughout

6. SELECTION PROCESS
i) The festival committee and jury reserve the right to reject any film's screening without assigning any reason. Their decision will be final in case of any disputes

7. FILM EXHIBITION
i) Scheduling slots and timing of selected films during the 2-day event is solely as per the Organizing Committee
ii) Entrants permit IBFF one additional showing during the festival for promotional purposes if needed
iii) Selected films permit IBFF non-commercial usage of excerpts for promotional edits and reels before/during/after the festival through its channels.

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