STORIES. VOICES. IMPACT. CHANGE.
ABOUT Us
Our stories. Our identity. Our voice.
Rohingya Film School is a community-rooted initiative founded by Rohingya storytellers in Kutupalong, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Through film, photography, and creative learning, we create opportunities for Rohingya people to document their own lives, preserve their heritage, and share their perspectives with the world.
Our work begins with a simple belief: every community deserves the opportunity to tell its own story.
- KUTUPALONG · COX’S BAZAR · BANGLADESH
Stories from within. Told by our community.
Rohingya Film School grew from the belief that Rohingya people should have the skills and opportunities to represent their own experiences. Founded in February 2020, the school brought together Rohingya storytellers who wanted to use photography and filmmaking to document community life, share important information, and preserve cultural memory.
Working within a refugee community, we see storytelling as more than creating images or films. It is a way to record everyday experiences, pass knowledge between generations, and make space for perspectives that are too often missing from wider conversations about Rohingya people.
Through practical creative learning and community-led storytelling, we aim to support young people in developing their skills and finding their own voices.
OUR COMMUNITY. OUR PERSPECTIVE.
Born in a refugee camp. Built on a shared belief.
The right to tell our own story.
The story of Rohingya Film School began with the experiences of Rohingya storytellers who worked alongside international journalists and saw the importance of telling stories from within their own community.
In February 2020, Omar Faruk, his brother Mohammed Faruque, and fellow Rohingya storytellers brought this vision to life in Kutupalong Camp. The founding collective also included Saidul Huq, Mohammed Kasim, and Mohammed Zonaid.
The school created a space where young Rohingya people could learn photography and videography, document their surroundings, and develop ways to communicate the experiences, knowledge, and hopes of their community.
Following Omar’s passing in May 2020, the school became known as Omar’s Film School in his memory. The name honoured his contribution and the vision he helped establish. Today, the school uses the name Rohingya Film School while continuing that founding purpose.
“Our stories. Our memory. Our voice.”
Our journey
2017
The seed of an idea
Working alongside international journalists, Omar and his brother Mohammed Faruque saw the value of stories told in their community’s own language.
FEB 2020
Rohingya Film School begins
A volunteer-led school takes shape in Kutupalong, teaching young Rohingya people photography and videography.
MAY 2020
A name that carries a legacy
After Omar’s passing, the school becomes Omar’s Film School in his memory. Mohammed and the team carry his vision forward.
TODAY
Our founding name. The same purpose.
As Rohingya Film School, we continue the work Omar began: telling our stories, preserving our heritage, and supporting young storytellers.
A vision that continues.
Remembering Omar Faruk Mushfique
Omar Faruk Mushfique helped bring Rohingya Film School into being through his passion for photography, journalism, and his community. His experiences working alongside international journalists helped shape the belief that Rohingya people should have the tools to document their own lives and tell their own stories.
Following his passing in May 2020, the school carried his name as a tribute to his life and vision. His contribution remains an important part of the school’s history and the purpose that continues to guide its work.
Through photography, filmmaking, and community storytelling, the school honours that legacy by supporting the next generation of Rohingya storytellers.
IN LOVING MEMORY OF OMAR FARUK MUSHFIQUE
The vision continues. Frame by frame.
Hope. Health. Heritage.
Our mission is to support Rohingya people in telling their own stories, preserving their cultural identity, and sharing knowledge through film, photography, and accessible creative media.
We aim to create opportunities for young people to develop practical storytelling skills, document their community from within, and produce media that informs, educates, and connects people.
Our work brings together three connected ideas.
Hope
We encourage young Rohingya people to develop their creative skills, express their perspectives, and imagine new possibilities for their future.
Health
We use community awareness media to share important information in languages people understand, helping make essential messages more accessible.
Heritage
We document traditions, oral histories, cultural practices, and everyday experiences so that Rohingya identity and community memory can be carried forward.
The purpose that brings our work together.
Our founding objectives continue to shape our approach to creative learning, community awareness, and storytelling.
Equip young storytellers
Train Rohingya youth in photography and videography, with practical skills to document their own lives.
Inform our community
Make awareness videos in Rohingya so vital information reaches people in a language they understand.
Preserve living heritage
Record our traditions, oral histories, songs, and cultural memory for future generations.
Make learning more accessible
Create educational media that helps address barriers to learning.
Document life from within
Cover community services, humanitarian activities, emergencies, and the everyday stories that deserve to be remembered.
By Rohingya. For Rohingya.
We believe the people who live a story should have the opportunity to help tell it. Our approach places Rohingya perspectives, community knowledge, and lived experiences at the heart of our storytelling.
Community-led storytelling
We create space for Rohingya people to document their own experiences and share perspectives shaped by their community.
Learning through practice
We value hands-on learning that helps young people develop photography, filmmaking, editing, and storytelling skills through practical experience.
Cultural memory and identity
We use visual storytelling to document traditions, everyday life, and community knowledge that matter to Rohingya identity.
Responsible representation
We believe stories should be approached with care, respect, and attention to the people whose experiences are being documented.
Sharing knowledge
We aim to make useful information and educational messages more accessible through community media and storytelling in familiar languages.
Our camera is a tool. Our community is our perspective. Our stories are our own.
Turning our purpose into stories.
Our mission comes to life through the work we create, the skills we share, and the experiences we document.
Film and photography
We use visual storytelling to document community life, share experiences, and bring Rohingya perspectives to wider audiences.
Community awareness
We create media that communicates important information and supports educational awareness within the community.
Creative learning
We support opportunities for young Rohingya people to learn practical creative skills and develop their own storytelling abilities.
Cultural documentation
We document traditions, local knowledge, and everyday experiences as part of preserving community memory.
Our work, seen beyond our community.
Independent media organizations have reported on the school’s beginnings, its community-based photography training, and the aspirations of young Rohingya storytellers.
A school built on the power of our own voices
Co-founder Mohammed Faruque reflects on the school’s beginnings, community information, and hopes for the future.
Learning to document life in the camps
Reporting by Ruma Paul on photography classes and young photographers’ aspirations.
Help us keep the stories moving.
Our work continues through the people who document their community, the stories that preserve our memory, and the opportunities that help the next generation find its voice.
Whether you are interested in our work, exploring a creative collaboration, or asking about training opportunities, we welcome you to connect with us.