Suhar – The activities of the Film Industry Forum began today in Suhar in the North Batinah Governorate, as part of the activities of the third Batinah International Film Festival, which is organised by the Omani Film Society, with the participation of a number of filmmakers and investors.

The forum included the presentation of four working papers specialising in the film industry at its various stages, in addition to live dialogue and discussion sessions, presented by a number of directors, actors, artists and writers in the world of cinema.

Fatima bint Saeed al Hinai, director of the accompanying events for the third Batinah International Film Festival, said: “The forum is a space for dialogue, communication and building bridges between filmmakers, talents and investors, in order to establish an Omani cinematic environment capable of competition and sustainable production.”

She added that cinema is no longer just a cultural luxury, but has become an integrated economy that creates opportunities and drives many sectors, and at the same time it is a tool that reflects the identity of peoples and contributes to telling their stories to the world.

She explained that the forum aims to be a first step towards building a real film production system in the Sultanate of Oman, allowing talents to express themselves, investors to find in art an opportunity for growth, and society to see in cinema a value that goes beyond entertainment to inspiration and change.