Online Desk: Chorusing the slogan “Real Stories by Real People,” Daffodil International University (DIU)’s Department of Journalism, Media, and Communication is hosting the first-ever Community Digital Storytelling Festival (CDSTF) on February 16 and 17 at Daffodil Smart City.

Addressing the details of the festival’s maiden edition to the media, a press conference was organized at DIU on Tuesday, joined by CDSTF Coordinator Alifunnessa Alif, Submission Manager Sadman Islam, and PR Manager Muhammad Asif Ul Islam.

Professor Dr Liza Sharmin, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; Aftab Hossain, Head of the Department of Journalism, Media and Communication and Kabil Khan, Associate Professor and Advisor of the Festival were present at the press conference, along with teachers and students of the department.

Keeping the theme “Environment and Sustainability” in mind, the participating students submitted their outstanding films in Open, Journalism, One Minute and DIU Best Community Story categories, respectively. The activities of this newly launched flagship event of DIU’s Department of Journalism, Media, and Communication started at the beginning of 2023.

The organizers of the festival campaigned on various issues including the goals, objectives and methods of participation in the festival in different schools, colleges, and universities both home and abroad, physically and virtually; and also provided hands-on training on filmmaking through mobile phones at various levels of educational institutions.

In this continuation, the participants of the festival from nine countries of the world have submitted a total of 106 films. Out of these, 73 films were initially selected and handed over to the festival’s jury board which selected 39 films for screening at the maiden CDSTF.

Winners in various categories of the festival will get attractive prizes as well as the opportunity to have direct discussions and advice with media researchers and eminent personalities, the organizers said at the press conference.

Ayaz Khan, who pioneered mobile journalism in Pakistan, Mojo, was the chief judge at the festival and is also working as a judge for the Dhaka International Mobile Film Festival this year. Prof Dr Marta Miaskowsa, a Research and Teaching staff member at the Faculty of Design, Lodz University of Technology was also on the judging panel of this year’s CDSTF, alongside Nuruzzaman Khan of Lithuania’s Artisokai Film Production, also an artist-writer-researcher-filmmaker; and Fahmim Ferdous, project manager and trainer of Deutsche Welle, DW Academy Asia and Europe and a journalist, presenter, and media personality in the country.

The strategic partner of CDSTF is the world’s largest Bengali news portal, Prothom Alo.com. Apart from this, Bangladesh Times, Irfan Trades and LumiFusion are the partners for award distribution.

CDSTF 2024 is also supported by MINA, which has joined as a global partner to spread this event to all corners of the world. Youth community partners include ICD, Initiative for Coastal Development and Swinburne University of Technology as institutional partners.

Site Vault has also partnered with this year’s CDSTF which will be streaming selected films, and the entire festival is fully supported by the Daffodil International University authority.