Muscat: Two international film events are scheduled to showcase world cinema in Oman in mid-September.
The inaugural Singapore Film Festival will take place in Muscat from September 18 to 20, just before the European Film Festival (September 21-28 at Cinepolis, Oman Avenues Mall).
The three-day festival will showcase three critically praised and award-winning Singaporean films: Ilo Ilo, A Land Imagined, and The Autograph.
These films, which address themes of cultural diversity, immigrant challenges, and political situations, have won acclaim at major international events such as Cannes and Locarno.
The festival, organized by the International Film Foundation of Oman (IFFO) in partnership with the Singaporean Embassy in Oman, seeks to expose Omani audiences to the richness and variety of Singaporean cinema.
Sudha Sha, the festival's coordinator and chairperson of IFFO, remarked during a news conference at the Singapore Embassy on Monday: "Films have the ability to unite people regardless of their differences. While audiences in this region associate Southeast Asian cinema with Korea, Singapore's films have enormous potential – deeply human, sensitive, and political all at the same time. While commercial films provide immediate gratification, it is offbeat cinema that encourages us to reflect on life with knowledge and depth. "
Syed Noureddin bin Syed Hassim, Singapore's Chargé d'Affaires, stated: "We are delighted to host the first Singapore Film Festival in Oman. It is a fantastic method to improve cultural understanding, especially since this year marks four decades of Oman-Singapore relations and six decades of Singapore's independence. "
The screenings will be held at Cinepolis, Oman Avenues Mall, beginning at 7:30 p. m. , with admission costing OMR 1.
