Muscat to host third EU film festival

MUSCAT: The European Union Film Festival is back in Muscat for its third edition from October 11 to 18, 2026 at Cinépolis, Oman Avenues Mall, promising eight days of European cinematic excellence and cross-cultural dialogue.
Organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, Oman Film Society, International Film Foundation of Oman (IFFO) and Oman Avenues Mall, the festival will showcase films from nine European Union member states.
Participating embassies include Austria, Cyprus, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Romania and Spain – the same countries that made the second edition a success last year with 22 films.
Officials said the full programme in English and Arabic will be available through QR codes, with entry of RO 1.5 for the public on a first-come, first-served basis.
Sayyid Said bin Sultan al Busaidi, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth for Culture, said the ministry’s participation reflects its belief in cinema’s important role in fostering cultural dialogue and bringing people and cultures closer together. He highlighted the festival as an opportunity to discover diverse European cinematic experiences, support Oman’s growing film sector and create new opportunities for cooperation between Omani and European cultural and artistic communities.
Anwar bin Khamis al Raziqi, President of the Oman Film Society, welcomed the festival and particularly the Short Film Competition as a platform for young Omani talent, stressing the Society’s commitment to strengthening international partnerships and developing Oman’s film sector.