Mostofa Sarwar continues his bid to illuminate the creative minds of Bangladesh at the global arena. In his recent haul he has become the jury member for a film festival at the renowned East End of London. The film festival will run into its 15th with Farooki as juror. It will start from June 23 and run until July 3. But sadly Farooki won't able to take part in the festival in person, as he is too busy with his upcoming production "No Bed of Roses" starring Bollywood star Irrfan Khan. He will execute his task as a juror online. He will decide upon feature films four other international movie personalities. American actor Ron Perlman, Turkish director Tolga Kara?elik, Screenwriter Kaleem Aftab and British director Sarah Gavron are the other jury members of the feature film category.
In an interview published in the daily "Bangladesh Pratidin" Farooki reacted to his being selected as a jury member as amazing. But he would have felt better if he could take part in the festival in person. The task he is about to complete is daunting but he is ready to take on the challenge he was quoted as saying. Farooki last took part as a juror in the Asia Pacific Screen Awards in 2015.
Farooki has directed a number of thought provoking feature films including Bachelor (2003), Made in Bangladesh (2007), Third Person Singular Number (2009), and most recently, Television (2012). He is also the pioneer of an avant-garde filmmakers' movement called "Chabial". Hollywood centered magazine Variety's Jay Weissberg describes Farooki as "a key exemplar of Bangladeshi new wave cinema movement". Farooki's fourth movie Television won the APSA Grand Jury Prize in 2013, as well as a further five international awards from Dubai, Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival, Rome's Asiatica Film Mediale and more.
Attracting an annual audience of more than 30,000, the East End Film Festival (EEFF) claims to have established itself as a major international film festival at the heart of London's most dynamic quarter. The EEFF's established awards system includes: Best Feature (reserved for first and second time directors); Best Documentary; Best UK Short Film; and the EEFF Short Film Audience Award.