Muscat international Film Festival begins today
and Haitham Mohammed Rafi, Oman’s own favourite singing sensation.
Film enthusiasts are awaiting to see Egyptian actor Amr Waked, Syrian filmmaker Ghassan Massoud, Egyptian director Ali Badrakhan, Italian actor Franco Nero, Nepalese Bollywood actress Manisha Koirala and award-winning Indian-american filmmaker Mira Nair. The festival will conclude on March 31.
A total of 115 films are expected to be screened at MIFF, premiere two movies in addition to an exciting list of short films and documentaries. Forty Omani short films have been submitted for the festival.
VOX City Centre Qurum, VOX City Centre Muscat and VOX Shatti will be screening 14 long feature films and seven long documentaries.
The Muscat International Film Festival has become a colourful highlight in the Sultanate’s cultural calendar with a multi-cultural audience, local, regional and international celebrities, top officials and movie aficionados.
The 10th MIFF is being presented by the Ministry of Tourism in association with the Oman Airports.
The VOX Cinemas is the venue partner; Merge and Al Wisal are the radio partners.
The hospitality partners are Hormuz Grand Hotel and Mysk by Shaza. According to the organisers, being the 10th MIFF, the number 10 figures like a recurring motif across all the events on all six days.
This includes its 10 year history, 10 top short films, 10 celebrities being honoured, and 10 artistes, both international and Omanis.
The MIFF will pay special tribute to pioneering Omani actor and filmmaker Salim Bahwan, who passed away in 2017.
A consummate actor and dedicated film-maker, Salim Bahwan was at the vanguard of activities to carry forward the fledgling cinema industry here in Oman.