Muscat – The very first Singapore Film Festival in Oman concluded at the Cinepolis Cinema, Oman Avenues Mall on Saturday.  The three-day festival showcased film lovers from Oman a rare glimpse into the richness of Singaporean cinema. Organised by the International Film Foundation of Oman (IFFO) in collaboration with the embassy of Singapore in Muscat, the event was inaugurated with the award-winning film Ilo Ilo along with two more award winning movies titles A Land Imagined and The Autograph (Friday and Saturday respectively).

Sudha Sha, coordinator of the festival and chairperson of IFFO, said, “We took hours and hundreds of films to choose the three ones. The chosen ones are based on their merit not only in script and acting but also camera, editing and underlying social messages. While commercial cinema often dominates, it is important to engage with films that prompt deeper reflection. Though there is instant gratification from mass movies, such offbeat films make us think of life with wisdom and depth.”

Syed Noureddin bin Syed Hassim, chargé d’affaires at the Embassy of Singapore, said, “This is the first ever festival from our country in Oman and we are extremely happy with the response. The festival is part of strengthening cultural ties between the two countries. And we aim to make it an annual event.”

(Pictures by VK Shafeer)