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EngageMedia is providing extended impact campaign support to four filmmakers from across two editions of Tech Tales Youth. Following a competitive selection process, these filmmakers—from the Philippines and Thailand edition (2023-2024) and the Bangladesh and Malaysia edition (2024-2025)—have each been awarded an additional USD 1,000 to deepen their community engagement and digital rights advocacy work.
Join us for this DRAPAC Series session on August 20, ahead of the upcoming DRAPAC25 event in Kuala Lumpur!
Carrying the personal and collective experience of the internet shutdown in Bangladesh, Taosin Md. Bahadurshah Zafar went on to create The Black Kite, a film produced under EngageMedia’s Tech Tales Youth film collection and mentorship program.
Ishtiyak Ahmed Zihad, a young filmmaker based in Bangladesh, captured the chaos and uncertainty of the July uprising in Bangladesh in his short film “Whispers of the Ink”. A Film and Media Studies
Against the backdrop of deteriorating internet freedom across the region, attendees collaborated to share knowledge, build skills, and develop strategies for digital resilience. The vibrant exchange of ideas revealed several interconnected themes that highlighted both the challenges facing the regional digital rights community and the creative, community-led responses emerging to address them.
The latest edition of Tech Tales Youth showcases powerful stories about digital rights from Malaysia and Bangladesh, produced by young filmmakers.
Written by Tasfia Tarannum Ridita and Abdullah Hel Bubun In Bangladesh, digital spaces often mirror societal prejudices, putting marginalised groups at significant risk. In a country where same-sex relationships are criminalised, and gender
Written By Subinoy Mustofi Eron Ishtiyak Ahmad Zihad’s Whispers of the Ink, shot in harsh, evocative black and white, illustrates the catastrophic consequences of the internet shutdowns during the July and August 2024
In Taosin Zafar’s film “The Black Kite,” Arif, a freelancer who relies on crutches, faces a devastating reality when a government-imposed internet shutdown cuts off his livelihood. The film captures a critical moment