It was formed on 24 August 1986 by a group of young independent filmmakers and activists who were then campaigning for creative and aesthetically rich cinema.
Most of these young filmmakers were initiated into cinema through their involvement with the film society movement in Bangladesh that began as early as in the 1960s.
Short Film Forum was formed at a time when mainstream Bangladeshi cinema was dominated by crass commercialism and a network of producers-distributors-exhibitors which allowed no space for artistic or socially responsible films.
The Forum featured some of most notable young Bangladeshi film makers among its members, including Morshedul Islam, Tanvir Mokammel, Tareque Masud, Enayet Karim Babul, Tareq Shahrier, Shameem Akhter, Manjare Hasin Murad, Yasmin Kabir, Nurul Alam Atique, Zakir Hossain Raju, Zahidur Rahim Anjan, Rashed Chowdhury, and Akram Khan.
The Forum is mostly noted for organizing the biennial and non-competitive International Short and Independent Film Festival.