Submissions open for Oman Film Festival

MUSCAT: Oman Film Society has announced the opening of submissions for the 2026 Oman Film Festival, whose events will be held from December 28 to 31.
The festival comes within the framework of the Society's endeavours to support and develop the Omani cinematic movement, empower national talent and enhance the presence of Omani expertise across the various fields of film-making.
In its forthcoming edition, the festival comprises three principal competitions: the short narrative film competition, the short documentary film competition and the artificial intelligence (AI) film competition, a step reflecting the festival's keeping pace with the accelerating developments in the film content industry and modern technologies.
The festival's management has allocated financial and incentive prizes for the winners of first places and specialised artistic categories, alongside prizes for each category of the artistic elements, namely directing, screenwriting, cinematography, editing, musical composition, and male and female acting in the narrative competition. A prize has also been earmarked for the best promotional poster in both competitions.
In the artificial intelligence (AI) film competition, a prize has been allocated for the best cinematic work executed using artificial intelligence technologies.
Anwar bin Khamis al Ruzaiqi, Chairman of the Oman Film Society, said that Oman Film Festival aims to encourage the film industry in the Sultanate of Oman and to support those engaged in the film sector across their various specialisations — directors, writers, producers, cinematographers, editors, actors, technicians and other talents who constitute the ecosystem of cinematic work.
He added that developing the film industry is not confined to supporting film production alone, but also encompasses supporting and empowering all the creative and artistic elements that stand behind the success of a cinematic work.
He explained that holding the festival this year coincides with the celebration of World Cinema Day, which lends it an additional dimension, namely honouring those engaged in the cinematic sector and celebrating their contributions and achievements in developing the artistic and cultural landscape.
He noted that dedicating individual prizes for the various artistic specialisations is a new qualitative feature offered by the Oman Film Society within the festivals it organises, with the aim of highlighting Omani talent and expertise across the various fields of film-making, stimulating excellence and professionalism and fostering positive competition among those working in this promising sector.
Regarding the organisational regulations for participation, the Society explained that the competition is reserved for Omani film-makers, provided that the submitted works are of recent production and completed during 2025 and 2026, and that the film's duration ranges between a minimum of 3 minutes and a maximum of 35 minutes.
It is also required to attach an English translation for films spoken in Arabic or any other language, and to submit the final approved version in high quality (Full HD 1080p) in MOV or MP4 formats via a direct, downloadable electronic link.
The festival's general rules affirmed the necessity for participating works to adhere to public values and ethics, and to be free of any content promoting violence, discrimination or hatred, or conflicting with public taste, in addition to requiring that the film has not been previously screened or broadcast via television channels, electronic platforms or any public media outlet, with the participant acknowledging that he or she owns all intellectual and legal rights pertaining to the submitted work.
Oman Film Society noted that November 1, 2026 will be the final deadline for receiving participation requests via the dedicated electronic form, calling upon Omani film-makers to avail themselves of this national platform to showcase their creations and contribute to the growth and development of the film industry in the Sultanate of Oman. - ONA