Dr. Ramzan bin Abdulla Al Noaimi, Minister of Information, has stated that the cinema is one of the promising sectors of the creative economy, which requires providing it with knowledge and empowering distinguished talented Bahrainis in all areas of the film industry to promote local production that reflects the Kingdom’s culture, identity and historical heritage.

The minister was speaking while opening the third edition of the Bahrain Film Festival, themed “Celebrating the Art of Film-making”, in the presence of a number of senior officials, media personnel, artists and a group of cinema stars from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Arab countries.

The Minister of Information said that the Bahrain Film Festival 2023 is held 100 years after the introduction of cinema into the kingdom, which indicates Bahrain’s clear leadership in this field, noting that its accumulated experiences are the source of inspiration for today’s generation of creative artists.

Dr. Al Noaimi added that this year’s edition aims to place the kingdom on the map of film festivals in the region, preserve the role of cinema in spreading national values and heritage, as well as convey Bahrain’s message and culture to all countries of the world.

The minister stated that the kingdom has the potential for success in the film industry, as it has been an incubator for film production for major international production companies since the 1970s.

He underlined the Information Ministry’s keenness to create the economic and creative atmosphere necessary for the success of qualitative investment projects in this field, and to support the private sector and foreign investments to develop the creative sector in the kingdom, paying tribute to Beyon company and NBB for supporting the festival and national efforts across many fields.

Osama Al Saif, Board of Directors Chairman of the Bahrain Cinema Club, the Festival Chairman, addressed the opening ceremony. He expressed thanks and appreciation to the Information Minister for patronising and supporting the Bahrain Film Festival, which will ensure its success.

He also praised the minister’s care for the cinema sector and youth filmmakers in the kingdom, which, he said, paves the way for more creativity in a cinema industry worthy of Bahrain’s cultural component.

Al Saif welcomed the festival’s guests and participants, affirming that the festival provides an opportunity for Bahraini youth artists to be informed about distinguished cinematic regional and international experiences.

The Information Minister then honoured a number of Bahraini and Arab artists and filmmakers, including Bahraini director Bassam Al Thawadi, for his landmark contributions to the cinema industry, Bahraini actress Shafeeka Yousif, for her continuous participation in Bahraini films, especially those produced by youth, and Egyptian star, Hala Sedki, for her 40-year career in the theatre, television and cinema.

The opening ceremony also featured the screening of a number of films that reflect aspects of partnership with film production institutions.

A total of 117 Arab short films are participating in the festival’s four categories, namely the Bahraini Film Competition, in which 19 films compete, short narrative films, in which 76 films compete, documentary films, in which 15 films compete, and the Animation Film Competition, in which 6 films compete.

Organised by the Bahrain Cinema Club from October 5 to 9, the Bahrain Film Festival 2023 is sponsored by Beyon and the National Bank of Bahrain (NBB), the festival’s strategic partners.

Source: Bahrain News Agency