Dhofar International Film Festival in Salalah kicks off
Salalah: The first edition of the Dhofar International Film Festival, organised by the Oman Film Society under the patronage of His Highness Sayyid Marwan bin Turki Al Said, Governor of Dhofar, was inaugurated this evening at the Sultan Qaboos Youth Complex for Culture and Entertainment in Salalah.
The opening ceremony included a visual presentation entitled “Features of Dhofar Governorate”, and another about excerpts from the participating films in their narrative and documentary categories from 18 countries around the world, in addition to various artistic segments and honoring the judging committees and a number of artists, film directors, and sponsors and supporters of the festival.
Dr. Rashid bin Abdullah Al Yafei, the festival director, delivered a speech in which he said that the Omani Film Society seeks, through its organization of international film festivals in various governorates of the Sultanate of Oman, to create a cultural and creative space and to introduce participants to the cultural, historical and touristic diversity of Dhofar Governorate.
He added that the organization of the Dhofar International Film Festival comes to achieve several goals in the field of film industry, including refining the skills of film makers and producers in writing, scripting, photography, acting and directing, through workshops and film screenings to qualify young artists and creators and to view pioneering and distinguished cinematic experiences at the regional and international levels and to discover talents.
Regarding the films participating in the festival, Al Yafei explained that the festival’s competitions include the participation of 41 qualified films out of nearly 200 films, divided into two categories: short narrative films with 22 films, and documentaries with 19 films. The jury includes specialists, artists and those working in the field of cinema, especially in narrative and documentary films, from inside and outside the Sultanate of Oman.
For his part, Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Ajmi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Omani Cinema Association, pointed out the association’s efforts in establishing multidisciplinary initiatives through holding film festivals to benefit from experiences and hone skills in the world of cinema, indicating that the association seeks to build bridges between cinematic cultures with all their spectrums, visions and trends, shedding light on the antiquity and heritage of the Sultanate of Oman.
Al-Ajmi stressed that cinema is one of the tools used by countries to promote tourism, and that one film can make something happen, and can shorten and condense years of effort to promote tourism for any country, stressing the importance of cinematic arts in spreading awareness and cultural communication among peoples.
