MIFF to project Oman as ideal destination for movie makers

MUSCAT, DEC 23 - ‘Make your movie in Oman’ will be the logo for the 11th Muscat International Film Festival (MIFF), which has been introduced with the aim of projecting to the global guests the picturesque and unique sites in the Sultanate that make the country a distinctive destination for movie makers. This was revealed at a press conference held to disclose the details of the MIFF and related activities on Monday at the Omani Film and Theater Society. This festival to be held from March 24 to 28, 2020, will have competitions in five categories and they are: full length films (documentary and feature films), short Gulf and Arab films, student films, children’s films, and animation films. The last day for receiving entries will be January 15, 2020. The committee has decided to present Silver Jubilee Award for every category of the festival’s competitions. For feature films, awards will be given for the best film, best director, best screenplay, best actor, best actress and best filming. As for the documentary films competition, awards will be given for the best film, best director and best photography. The selection committee for long feature and documentary films includes Dr Salem al Mamari, Sama Issa, Anis al Habib, while the selection committee for short feature and documentary films includes Mohammed al Farsi, Laila Habib and Anwar al Ruzaiqi. Big Arab and international figures like Kamran Pasha, Bruno Henry, Fatima Loukili, Lina Murad and a galaxy of regional and global film-makers, actors and actresses, besides film technicians, will attend the festival. Side by side, debates and discussions will be held during the festival. In addition, several tours and visits will be conducted for film-makers and festival visitors with the aim of promoting the Sultanate as a perfect location for shooting and film-making. A number of countries such as the US, France, Italy, Iran, Egypt and Lebanon, besides those from GCC nations, will take part in the festival. The participating films will be shown on Vox and Lunar cinemas.