Muscat  – The third edition of the European Union Film Festival will bring a selection of contemporary European cinema to Muscat from October 11 to 18, offering audiences 20 films from nine EU member states.

Organised by the Delegation of the European Union and EU member states’ embassies in Oman, in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth (MCSY), the Oman Film Society, International Film Foundation of Oman (IFFO) and Cinépolis Cinemas Oman, the festival will be held at Cinépolis, Oman Avenues Mall.

Films from Spain, Romania, Italy, Hungary, France, Cyprus, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands will form the main programme, highlighting different cinematic styles, themes and storytelling traditions from across Europe. Tickets for the selected films will be priced at RO1.5 per screening and will be available at the Cinépolis.

Speaking during a press conference at the Cinepolis Cinema at Oman Avenues Mall on Wednesday, H E Christophe Farnaud, the ambassador of the European Union to Oman, said, “The Film Festival sends a clear message: this cultural celebration has become an established tradition, welcomed, cherished and keenly awaited by our Omani friends. This year’s programme offers a rich variety of genres, characters and stories spanning the full range of human emotions – from despair to hope, from fear to courage. It is a kaleidoscope of European lives and, ultimately, of all our lives. Come and immerse yourself in the diversity.”

H E Christophe Ceska, the ambassador of Austria to Oman, speaking on behalf of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, said, “The return of the European Union Film Festival to Muscat is another tangible expression of the deep and growing partnership between the European Union and Oman. The festival introduces Omani audiences to the diversity of European cinema while providing talented Omani filmmakers with a platform to present their work. Cinema enables us to see the world through the eyes of others, making it a powerful means of promoting cultural exchange, dialogue and mutual understanding.”

Alongside the European programme, this year’s festival will place a stronger focus on Oman’s emerging filmmaking community through a new Short Film Competition. Shortlisted local productions will be screened free to the public from October 12 to 14, between 5pm and 8pm. A total of RO1,500 in prize money will be awarded across three categories — Best Film, Best Story and Best Director. 

Sudha Sha, Director of IFFO, welcomed the festival’s continued growth and noted that the new competition would give local filmmakers an opportunity to gain recognition while further strengthening cultural exchange between Europe and Oman.