MUSCAT: His Excellency Said bin Sultan Al Busaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth for Culture, said the festival embodies the vision of Oman’s Cultural Strategy 2021–2040, which seeks to enhance the Sultanate’s cultural leadership and strengthen regional artistic communication. He described the festival as a “leading platform to promote the Gulf cinematic movement, exchange artistic experiences, and highlight the shared identity of Gulf societies through film.”
The 2025 edition will pay tribute to distinguished Gulf artists, including Jumaa Haikal (Oman), Saad Al-Faraj (Kuwait), Abdul Mohsen Al-Nimr (Saudi Arabia), Ahmed Yaqoub Al-Maqli (Bahrain), and Abdullah Hassan Ahmed (UAE). The festival program features film screenings from across the Gulf, alongside a cinematic evening titled “From Story to Screen: Gulf Stories that Inspire Cinema.” The session aims to celebrate the region’s storytelling heritage and its evolution into modern cinematic expression.
Guests for the evening include noted figures such as Abdul Mohsen Al-Nimr, Mohammed Hassan Ahmed, Dr. Ziad Abdullah Al-Husseini, Sheikha Suha Al Khalifa, and Mohammed Al-Kindi, who will discuss Gulf cinema’s growth and its cultural roots.
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A special highlight of the festival will be the screening of the Kuwaiti film “Baqsha Saad” by Majbel Al-Faraj, attended by the renowned actor Saad Al-Faraj himself. The event will also see the launch of “Transformations of Omani Cinema 1970–2020,” a new book by Mohammed Al-Kindi, published by the Ministry.
The judging panel features prominent Gulf filmmakers and directors, including Abdullah Habib, Masoud Amrallah, Diaa Youssef, Mohammed Al-Ajmi, Dr. Khaled Abdul Rahim, Eva Daoud, Abdullah Al-Tararwa, Sheikh Khalifa Al Thani, and Mahmoud Al-Sheikh.
The festival will honor winners across nine main categories, Best Feature Film, Documentary, Short Film, Original Score, Actor, Actress, Screenplay, Director, and Cinematography.
The event will attract an illustrious lineup of Gulf stars, filmmakers, and media professionals, including Fakhriya Khamis, Saleh Zaal, Amina Abdul Rasoul, Talib Al Balushi, Mohammed Al Mansour, Dr. Ashraf Zaki, Rogina, Bassem Yakhour, Yaqoub Abdullah, Fatima Al Hosni, and Huda Al Khatib.
