Muscat, Oman – The second edition of the Dhofar International Film Festival has kicked off. Organized by the Oman Film Society in strategic partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth and Dhofar Municipality, the four-day event features 32 films from 16 countries competing in the official selection.
The festival’s opening ceremony was held at the Sultan Qaboos Youth Complex for Culture and Entertainment in Salalah, under the patronage of Marwan bin Turki Al Said, Governor of Dhofar, and was attended by filmmakers, critics, media professionals, and those interested in the film industry.
32 films competing in the official competitions
The viewing and selection committees selected 32 films to participate in the official competition—chosen from 133 submissions by filmmakers from 29 countries—resulting in a notable diversity among the participating works in this edition.
The selected films are distributed across four competitions, comprising 13 international feature films, 5 Omani feature films, 6 international documentaries, and 8 Omani documentaries.
Broad Arab and international participation
The second edition features films representing 16 countries, including the Sultanate of Oman, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Iraq, Palestine, Morocco, and Libya, alongside Iran, South Korea, England, Spain, Russia, and Portugal.
Stars on the festival’s honoree list
The second edition of the Dhofar International Film Festival will honor a number of figures from the arts and media sectors in recognition of their contributions to art, media, and cinema, including Kuwaiti artist Haya Abdulsalam and Egyptian artist Bushra Razza.
The list of honorees also includes a number of Omani artists—Hilal bin Abdullah Al-Araimi, Salah bin Sulaiman Beit Obaid, and Salim Al-Omari—alongside media personality Abdullah Al-Sabah.
A distinguished group of filmmakers, critics, and academics from Arab countries and across the globe also participates in the festival’s activities—serving on juries and taking part in seminars and parallel events—thereby enhancing the festival’s international cinematic presence.
