Muscat  – In a first-of-its-kind initiative in the sultanate, the Oman Film Society (OFS), represented by its Film Support and Production Fund, has announced the launch of a screenplay competition for feature-length films as part of efforts to support and develop Omani cinematic projects and nurture local filmmaking talent.

The competition aims to empower filmmakers to transform creative ideas into professional film projects capable of development, funding and production.

Speaking to Muscat Daily, Anwar Al Ruzaiqi, Chairman of the Oman Film Society, said the initiative seeks to discover and refine the talents of screenwriters and filmmakers across various levels of creativity, while enhancing the quality of feature film scripts and strengthening the presence of Omani stories on the big screen.

“The competition aims to support writers and filmmakers, improve scripts for production, and help promising projects move from the writing stage to professional development,” he said.

Al Ruzaiqi added that the initiative also seeks to qualify selected projects to compete for Gulf, Arab and international funding opportunities, while contributing to the production of feature films with a distinctive Omani identity.

The competition is open to all Omanis as well as resident members affiliated with the Oman Film Society. Submitted works should be original feature film screenplays rooted in the Omani environment through their themes, characters, settings, historical periods or cultural elements.

Applicants are required to submit screenplays in Arabic, accompanied by a logline, synopsis and curriculum vitae. Each participant may submit only one entry.

The society stated that submitted scripts should be entirely original and not copied or adapted from other literary, cinematic or artistic works unless legal proof authorising the adaptation is provided.

Winners will be required to participate in development workshops, as prizes will only be awarded upon completion of the project development plan.

The deadline for submissions is August 30, 2026, with late entries not being considered.

Al Ruzaiqi said entries will be evaluated by a specialised jury comprising experts in screenwriting and filmmaking according to established artistic and professional criteria.

He stressed that the competition offers more than financial rewards, describing it as “a genuine opportunity to transform creative works into realistic feature film projects”.

Winning projects will be enrolled in specialised workshops focusing on screenplay development, advanced feature film writing and the preparation of professional technical files in line with the requirements of funding bodies. The workshops will be supervised by specialists with international experience in film development and financing.

The competition prizes include RO1,500 for first place, RO1,000 for second place and RO500 for third place.

Encouraging Omani youth to participate, Al Ruzaiqi said, “Your story could be the next big thing – start with the script, and let us guide you from writing to screen.”