Seven full feature films and 24 short films coming from 24 countries had been short-listed to compete in the first edition of the Hope International Film Festival (HIFF) to be held from September 10 to 13 in Stockholm, Sweden.
The theme of the festival covers children with special needs, women, childhood, wars and other subjects close to humanity.
Dr Khalid al Zadjali, acclaimed Omani film director and cinema persona is the Artistic Director of the international convergence of films and film personalities from countries like Belgium, Germany, France, Ghana, Bulgaria, Britain, Egypt, Macedonia, Morocco, Palestine, Iran, Turkey, India, Jordan, Kazakhstan, America, Colombia, Lebanon, the Emirates, Algeria, Syria, Mauritania, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, besides Oman.
In the feature film category, the film “Save Sandra”, starring Sven de Reder and Daria Gantora and directed by Jean Verhein and Lianne Willard, that has participated in a large number of international festivals, was chosen to be the opening film of the first session.
France has sent “Under the stars of Paris” starring Catherine Frut and the child Muhammadu Yaffa, directed by Claus Drexel in his first long fiction experience, who boldly embodied the underworld of the French capital.
Bulgaria’s entry is “February” directed by Kamen Kalev and starring Lakichizar Dimitrov, who participated in many major festivals, including Tallinn Black Night Film Festival. Egypt sent the movie “Fragile” directed by Ahmed Rashwan, whose heroine Hanan Mutawa won second place in the referendum for the best actress from the African continent, and from Morocco the film “Hala Madrid Visca Barsa” directed by Abdel Elah El Gohary and starring Abdelhak Belmojahid, Abdelilah Rashid, Latifa Ahrar and Hoda Sedky.
“Cinema in Oman is coming a long way and we are proud to see both citizens and expatriates supporting the film industry in the country,” said Dr Khalid al Zadjali, the Festival Director of HIFF.
From Oman/ India, the film by Sudha Radhika, an acclaimed Indian filmmaker who has been in Oman for over a decade and being part of the earlier edition of Muscat International Film Fest (MIFF) is making a grand premiere at the Fest. The film “What the Birds Want to Say”, written and directed by Sudha, starring Neelanjana Shah Sudha and Amar Ramachandran sheds light on the intricacies that our adolescent youth go through in the modern world.
“I feel extremely happy for my film having been selected to the HIFF and it adds more professional commitment through films,” Sudha said.
The protagonist Neelanjana Shah Sudha in the“What the Birds Want to Say” was awarded Best Actress Lead award at the WRPN (Women’s International Film Festival) in Delaware in the US besides winning the ‘Best Feature Film Finalist at SoCal Film Festival.
“We hope this festival will succeed in its aims and reach across the world. We have been able to generate an overwhelming response by various filmmakers by reserving their films’ participation under the difficult circumstances of the pandemic and lockdowns that the world is going through. I’m thanking the Festival president Fadi El Lawand and the artistic teams from the Sultanate of Oman and Egypt,” added Dr Al Zadjali.
Films that are showcasing this year include: From France “How to Be a Good Wife” directed by Martin Provost, starring Juliette Binoche and Yolande Mario, from Iran “Sami” directed by Habib Bawi Sajid, starring Saeed Najrafi, Syed Muhammad al Imadi and Rosanuri, and from Kazakhstan “The Yellow Cat” directed by Adel Khan Yerzanova and written by Adel Khan Yerzanova and Ina Smailova, starring Azmat, Sanjar and Camila (International competition), Nika Awards (Best Film of the CIS and Baltic States), San Sebastian International Film Festival, Tokyo Filmex (Best Film), La Biennale di Venezia (International Competition), from America “Angie — Lost Girls” directed by Julia Verdin and written by Janet and Julia Verdin, the film has won several international awards as best feature film such as Hot Spring International Women’s Festival, Moving Parts Festival and Social Relief Festival in New York.
As for the short films: “Chakero” from Colombia, “Meet the Soul” from Morocco, “What is Your Name” from Lebanon, “Under Pressure” from the UAE, “The Last Chance” from Egypt, “Gone” and “Room of a Dying Bird” From Egypt, “One of us left the picture” Syria and France, “Sons of the Impossible” Syria, “Kafiya” Mauritania, “moon hares” Kazakhstan, and from Egypt “I am a homeland within the homeland”, and from France “The right words”, “The last day of patriarchal Czechs, Slovenia and France, “Cell 364” Germany and France, “Day Yi” Ghana and Belgium, “pops” Britain and France, “sticker” Macedonia..and from Palestine, Lebanon, France and Belgium “trumpets in the sky”, and from America “Mugging - The Art of Social Distancing “, from Turkey “Allegoria”, from Egypt “Potato”, from Belgium “Radio Flex”, and from Jordan “ Ya Jaar”.
“We hope this festival will set the ball rolling and show the Omani skills and efficiency in organising and managing international film festivals outside the Sultanate of Oman after calling off the Muscat International Film Festival and other festivals across the region,” Dr Khalid al Zadjali said.
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