BIDIYAH: Bidiya in North Al Sharqiyah Governorate will host the International Cinema and Desert Festival from February 7 to 10. Organisers proudly announced that the festival, set in the open air of Bidiya Public Park, is the first of its kind in the Sultanate of Oman.
Mohammed Al Rasbi, the festival director, expressed the motivation behind this unique event, stating, "We chose to launch this extravaganza to explore the beauty of Omani deserts, unveiling its customs and traditions of living."
The festival has garnered active involvement, with 18 countries submitting around 65 films. Notably, the submissions include 13 international documentary films, 12 Omani documentary films, and six international narrative films. Omani filmmakers have made a substantial contribution, presenting 34 narrative films, most of which were produced in 2023, indicating a promising outlook for Omani cinema.
Out of the submissions, 24 films were carefully selected, comprising seven international and 11 Omani documentary films, along with five international and one Omani narrative film.
Sheikh Rashid Al Maslahi, the first deputy of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Oman, announced the Chamber's prize for the best film promoting sustainable development in the economic and tourism sectors of North Al Sharqiyah, with a value of RO 4,500.
Dr Hamid Al Amri revealed the ‘Ain’ platform's prize, sponsored by the Ministry of Information, amounting to RO 1,000, in addition to the festival awards with a total value of RO 3,000.
The festival aimed to attract proficient artists as guests and jury members, fostering collaboration between Omani photographers, producers, and international counterparts. It also sought to encourage youth and startups to enter the field of cinema, with the ultimate goal of achieving recognition and awards at regional and global levels.
Accompanying the festival are workshops that commenced in December, covering various aspects of film production such as screenplay writing, filming techniques, participation methods, and directing. Participants successfully produced five films during the Cinema and Desert Festival workshops.
The festival features various programmes, including a desert tour for guests and participants to explore Oman's tourist and economic attractions, promoting the ‘Make Your Film in Oman’ initiative. Additionally, there will be cinema seminars and dialogues with festival guests.
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