Previewing films that depicted the glorious Renaissance march of Oman, the second Al Batinah International Film Fest, part of regional film festivals, concluded at a simple yet star-studded ceremony, according to the Omani Film Society.
As many as 7 films made by local talents and 11 films from others were previewed at the event.
Acclaimed Egyptian film-maker Ashraf Zaki was the chief guest where Dr Talib al Balushi was the member of jury for short films.
The four-day festival which was announced in July 2023 began on November 12 and concluded on November 15, saw many locally made movies, short films, animations and documentaries vying for various positions.
Held in cooperation with the Office of the Governor of Al Batinah South, the annual film fest was organised under the slogan ‘Human Relationship with Earth’, to highlight the strong ties between the Omani citizens and the environment.
“The second edition of the Al Batinah Film Festival has been an astounding success and is considered an attractive space for youth creativity in the field of film industry and an opportunity to benefit from international cinematic experiences,” said Dr Hamid al Ameri, Chairman of the festival and head of Oman Film Society, adding, “By and large, the regional fests contribute to the dissemination of cinematic culture and the advancement of Omani cinematic works.”
Underlining the advancement that Omani youth has made in terms of film making, the festival included several competitions in a variety of genres, including the Omani and international short narrative film competition, the Omani and international short documentary film competition, and the festival competition under the title ‘The Relationship of the Omani Man with the Land.’
“We have introduced a new competition for government and private institutions in the Sultanate of Oman with the aim of enhancing cooperation and communication between the various institutions in producing documentaries using high-quality techniques in terms of clarity of idea, scenario and implementation, and contributing to the dissemination of culture and human values,” adds Al Ameri.
He further said that this edition of the Al Batinah International Film Festival was a continuation of the series of festivals held by the Society, through which it sought to achieve many common goals, the most important of which is spreading cinematic culture in the society, promoting the Sultanate of Oman as a future interface for the international film industry, and further presenting the Oman governorates and states to the media world.
It also aimed to introduce them in cinematic forums, and to motivate film-makers in the Sultanate of Oman by encouraging them and presenting their cinematic works to the rest of the world.
“We welcomed film-makers from within and outside the Sultanate of Oman who participated in the Al Batinah Film Festival in its second edition, which is a unique opportunity for them to display their creativity, exchange knowledge and enhance cultural communication in this field,” said Mohammed bin Abdullah al Ajmi, Director of the festival adds.
The festival was also an opportunity to discover Omani and international talents in the film industry, and the Society believes in the importance of cinema as a means of conveying stories and enhancing cultural and human communication.
the second Al Batinah International Film Festival which began on November 12 concluded last week.
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