The European Union (EU) in Bangladesh launched the very first film festival in Bangladesh on Wednesday titled "Bangladesh European Union Film Festival (BEUFF)", in partnership with all European Union Member States Embassies in Dhaka: Germany, France, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, as well as the Goethe-Institut Bangladesh and the Alliance Française de Dhaka.

Making the occasion of the 50 years' celebration of Bangladesh's independence and the friendship between the EU and Bangladesh, the maiden edition of BEUFF is showcasing a total of 21 films and will virtually run till June 30.

The festival is featuring 7 Bangladeshi films from young aspiring filmmakers, 7 EU feature films, and 7 international short films on climate change. All the films will be screened on the online platform Festival Scope and available free of cost to all audiences residing in Bangladesh.

Furthermore, all seven European movies will be subtitled in Bangla to eliminate the barriers of languages, according to the European Union (EU).

It also says that the festival will unfold a new chapter in the EU's cultural exchange with Bangladesh and further shed light on vital issues such as education and skill development, climate change adaptation, food and nutrition security, good governance, safe migration and sustainable reintegration of refugees, empowerment of women and girls: EU's priorities for development cooperation in Bangladesh.

A dedicated website (www.beuff.org) was launched at 12 am on June 9th, allowing the audiences access to all films and other information related to the festival.

The festival's side events will also include masterclasses, questions/answer sessions with directors, discussions on gender representations in cinema, having a strong focus on women's issues and climate change.

The implementing partners of BEUFF are Particip GmbH, RedOrange Media and Communications and Goopy Bagha Productions Limited.