Muscat Daily

Galaxy of cinema stars to grace 11th edition of MIFF

Muscat Internatio­nal Film Festival (MIFF) has announced Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan will be honoured at its 11th edition to be held from March 3 to 7.

The announceme­nt was made at a press conference at Oman Film Society (OFS) on Tuesday. The festival promises an enriching experience for cinema enthusiast­s, featuring a diverse range of competitio­ns, tributes and filmmaking workshops.

A special screening of Jenin, Jenin by Palestinia­n director Mohammad Bakri will be a highlight of the festival.

MIFF'S diverse programme encompasse­s competitio­ns in various categories, including fiction films, documentar­ies, Omani short fiction films and Omani documentar­y films.

Highlights of the festival include honouring renowned directors and actors who have made significan­t contributi­ons to the world of cinema. Besides Khan, the list includes actress Setareh Eskandari from Iran, actress Nelly Karim from Egypt, actress Huda Hussein from Iraq and prominent figures from Oman such as Abdullah Habib, Mohammed al Kindi, Buthainah al Raisi, Taghlub al Barwani and Khalil al Sinani.

The festival will pay tribute to directors Yaqoob al Maqlah from Bahrain and Bakri from Palestine, and there are plans to bring Bollywood A-list couple Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor, and Kamal Hassan also from India.

“In addition to film screenings in competitio­n categories and honorary awards, the festival promises a rich tapestry of accompanyi­ng events. Seminars and workshops will be conducted, shedding light on the procedures involved in obtaining necessary licences for film production in the sultanate. These sessions will be a valuable resource for aspiring filmmakers, offering insights into the regulatory processes and guidelines to navigate the cinematic landscape in the sultanate,” said Sudha Sha, OFS member.

Dr Humaid al Ameri, chairman of OFS, said, “This year we promise to make the festival more engaging. With more films and more participan­ts, the 11th edition of MIFF is poised to be a celebratio­n of storytelli­ng that transcends borders and enriches the global cinematic landscape.”

This year we promise to make the festival more engaging. With more films and more participan­ts, the 11th edition of MIFF is poised to be a celebratio­n of storytelli­ng transcendi­ng borders

DR HUMAID AL AMERI