Cinemana International Film Festival begins in Muscat

Muscat: The fourth edition of the International Cinemana Film Festival, which is hosted by the Sultanate of Oman for the second time in a row, opened at the stage of the Scout Band of the Directorate General of Scouts and Girl Guides in Muscat Governorate, and it will last for 6 days.

The opening ceremony of the festival was sponsored by His Excellency Salem bin Muhammad Al Mahrouqi, Minister of Heritage and Tourism, who said in a statement: “The Sultanate of Oman’s hosting of the festival is important for a thriving cinematic industry, and Oman, with its diverse terrain between the plain, the mountain and the sea, is an open theater, to employ this terrain in the content of the aesthetics of this country.” .

He added, “Each governorate has different advantages, and linking these aesthetics with content that touches on social issues, terrain, and current and future issues is considered an area of ​​creativity, as cinema represents the appropriate platform for this aspect.”

Dr. Khalid bin Abdul Rahim Al-Zadjali, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Festival and Vice-President of the General Union of Arab Artists, said in his speech: Cinematic art, with all its vocabulary and types, is today one of the most widespread and influential arts. The place is infused with a message that, along with art, sums up the concepts of love, peace, harmony and dialogue.

He added that the Sultanate of Oman enjoys diverse geographical locations and terrains that are closer to open studios for filmmakers, which are no less important than what we see in the global cinematic picture, indicating that the festival comes as an invitation to producers and filmmakers to access this charming nature.

The opening ceremony included a musical performance by the Scout Band of the General Directorate of Scouts and Girl Guides, led by Maestro Jumaa Al-Subhi, and a visual show that contained many clips and scenes that dealt with the efforts of the previous sessions, and a welcoming acting scene performed by the artist Amina Abdel Rasoul and the young artist Khamis Al-Rawahi, in addition to showing visual scenes confirming The importance of tourism festivals in promoting youth talent.

At the end of the ceremony, His Excellency the Minister of Heritage and Tourism, the sponsor of the occasion, honored the artists Duraid Lahham, Tariq Abdulaziz, Akef Najm, and a number of producers and sponsors of the festival.

It is worth noting that the activities of the Cinemana Festival, in its fourth edition, are being held in the governorates of Muscat and Musandam, with the aim of identifying the cultural, civilizational and developmental landmarks in the two governorates due to their distinction with historical and geographical components.

The festival’s vision is based on exploiting the enormous energies of youth and creating a cinematic platform, around which all creators and artists gather to get to know their peers in the countries of the Arab world, and keep pace with the trends of advancing creativity and culture among all segments of society.

The total number of films registered for the fourth session of the International Film Festival reached 121 films, of which 43 short and long films qualified. This session also witnesses participation from the Sultanate of Oman, Egypt, Morocco, Syria, Algeria, the Emirates, Sudan, Iraq, Palestine, Bahrain, Iran, Serbia, Portugal, India, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan and Tunisia.