Yesterday evening, Thursday, the Omani Cinema Society celebrated the closing ceremony of the 11th Muscat International Festival, under the patronage of Her Highness Sayyida Hajija bint Jeffer Al Said, and with the participation of a group of artists and movie stars from within the Sultanate and various countries of the world.
During the ceremony, the winning films in various categories were honored. The awards for the short Omani documentary films category went to the film (Daughter of the Sand) by director Salah Al Hadhrami with a certificate of mention from the jury, the jury award went to the film (You Will Not Dive Alone) by director Fahd Al Maimani, and the Khanjar Award for the best Omani short documentary film. The movie (Magic of the Sands) directed by Walid Al Kharousi.
In the Omani Short Narrative Films category, the Khanjar Award for Best Omani Short Narrative Film went to the film (Water Religion) by director Haitham Suleiman, the Jury Prize to the film (Alpha and Beta) by director Asim Al Hashemi, the Al Muhazam Award for Best Actress to artist Dalila Al Diriyah for her role in the film The Water Religion, and the Omani Short Film Award. Al-Muhzam for Best Actor was shared equally between Saleh Al-Raisi for his role in the movie Alpha and Beta and Hamza Al-Hashemi for the movie The Religion of Water.
The International and Omani Animation Film Competition awards went to the film “Bahr” to Bilal Abu Samra from the Republic of Egypt, the “Dagger Award” for best international film, the Al-Muhzam Award for Visual Design to Iyad Abdul Hussein Suleiman from the Republic of Iraq for the film “A Dream on a Wall,” and the jury award for the film (Without Words) to Nour Jamal from the Republic of Egypt .
As for feature-length documentaries, the award for best film went to (The Hidden Beauty of Iraq) by director Suhaim Omar Khalifa and the Belgian Jurgen Beaudet, and the award for best cinematography went to the film (House of Wonders) by director Friedrich from the Sultanate of Oman, and the jury award went equally to the film (Water Mall) by director Fouad Al-Soubia from Morocco and the film (God’s Limits) by director Anis Al-Aswad from Tunisia.
In the feature films category, the Khanjar Award for Best Feature Film went to the film (The Guardian) by director Sadiq Siddiq Abu Talib from Iran, the Al-Muhzam Award for Best Actress went to the artist Sonia Okasha for the film (The Divorces of Casablanca) from Morocco, and the Al-Muhzam Award for Best Actor to the artist Dhafer Al-Abidine for (( The film “A Nose and 3 Eyes” from Egypt, the Jury Prize for the film “The Exchange” by director Yasser Ahmadi from the Sultanate of Oman and Iran, the Al-Muhzam Award for Best Direction for the film (Amakor) directed by Ahmed Al-Khodari from Kuwait, and the Al-Muhzam Award for Best Screenplay for Abdul-Jabbar Dildar, Farzana Shabani and Hamza Salehi for ( The Guardian movie), and a special mention for the performance of actress Neela Njana Sha Souda for her role in the movie (What Do the Birds Want), directed by Sodha Rawik from India.
During the ceremony, Dr. Hamid Al Ameri, President of the Omani Film Society, gave a speech in which he said: At the conclusion of the 11th Muscat International Film Festival, we review some of the prominent and inspiring moments that we witnessed during this distinguished cinematic event, which coincided with the launch of the film festival, where 23 films from 11 countries around the world were shown. This added great diversity to the festival, from feature films to documentaries and animated films. The works were inspiring and interesting, and there were workshops and artistic works in filmmaking and content. This festival embodied the spirit of cooperation and cultural exchange. The festival also witnessed a strong international presence, as artists and directors from different countries gathered to exchange experiences. This vision enhances cultural understanding and deepens relations between peoples.
Artistic works and artists were honored. Participating films, directors, and actors who contributed to the success of the festival were honored. This reflects appreciation for the efforts made in the film industry and the focus on national identity and cultural development. Muscat represents the ideal place for this festival, as it combines tradition and modernity. Cultural events enhance the status of the Omani capital as a renewed cultural center. We also look forward to more inspiring film festivals in the future, and we thank all the organizers and participants for their wonderful efforts in reviving this wonderful event.
