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 online, bringing together filmmakers from Bangladesh and beyond without any physical barrier.

FutureNation Film Fest

Team

Organizers

Aiub Uddin Shihab

Aiub Uddin Shihab

Founder & Festival Director

Debashis Barua

Debashis Barua

Head of Operations

Kayem Nur Manik

Kayem Nur Manik

Festival Manager (HR & Accounts)

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.
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. No entry fee is required. 2. The submission deadline is July 30, 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 31, 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 August 07, 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.

Awards

& Prizes

Best Independent Short Film

Certificate + Digital Trophy + Prize Money

Best July Documentary

Certificate + Digital Trophy + Prize Money

Best July Fiction

Certificate + Digital Trophy + Prize Money

Jury Special Mention

Certificate + Digital Trophy

Media

Festival Highlights

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

Now Playing

FNFF 2026 — Official Trailer

FNFF 2026 — Official Trailer

Experience the vision of FutureNation Film Fest in our official trailer.

Jury

Festival Jury

Ayesha Rahman

Ayesha Rahman

Film Critic & Curator

Tanvir Hasan

Tanvir Hasan

Independent Filmmaker

Nusrat Jahan

Nusrat Jahan

Screenwriter & Director

Farhan Karim

Farhan Karim

Cinematographer

Shamima Akter

Shamima Akter

Film Scholar & Critic

Rafiq Islam

Rafiq Islam

Documentary Filmmaker

Stay Informed

Notice Board

FutureNation Film Fest 2026 is now accepting submissions across all categories. No entry fee is required. The submission deadline is July 30, 2026. Selected films will be screened at the festival on August 7, 2026. All filmmakers retain full ownership of their work. For complete rules and guidelines, please refer to the Submission Rules section.