A Bahraini animated feature is among films that will be screened at the third edition of the Bahrain Film Festival 2023, which kicks off tonight at the Seef Mall in Manama at 6pm.
The festival, which will run until Monday, is being organised by the Bahrain Cinema Club, under the theme ‘Celebrating the Art of Film-making’.
It opens with the screening of the Arabic film Harka by American director Lutfi Nathan, starring French-Tunisian actor Adam Bessa, who won the Best Performance Award in the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.
The film follows Ali Hamdi who sells contraband petrol on the black market, dreaming of a better life for himself. One day, he is left with an ultimatum after his father dies, leaving him to take care of his two sisters with eviction looming.
Meanwhile, three documentaries – Woman in Motion (2019), Last Call for the Bayou (2019), Stockton on my Mind (2020) – and one children’s film, Secret of the Cave (2022), are scheduled for screening on October 6.
Woman in Motion features a star-studded cast which includes Nichelle Nichols, George Takei and Walter Koening. It highlights National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s daunting task of recruiting 8,000 of America’s best and brightest, including the first Black, Asian and Latino men and women to fly into space.
Last Call for the Bayou is an environmental documentary made by husband and wife duo Dominic and Nadia Gill, that confronts the effects of climate change on the Mississippi Delta due to wetland erosion, rising sea levels, and oil and gas extraction.
Stockton on my Mind, directed by Marc Levin, follows Stockton’s first ever African-American mayor Michael Tubbs, as he works tirelessly to turn around the fortunes of one of the poorest and most violent places in America.
Bahraini-made children’s animation film Secret of the Cave, produced in co-operation with Saudi-based MBC Group, follows six protagonists as they explore places filled with magical gemstones, learning their values and benefits in a light-hearted story, fighting evil along the way.
The spotlight will be on Bahraini filmmakers on Saturday with 18 locally made short films by 18 local directors to be screened.
The festival will continue on Sunday with a screening of a heart-warming documentary Lily Topples the World (2021) directed by Jeremy Workman. It follows Lily Hevesh, the world’s greatest domino toppler, in a coming-of-age story about her triumph.
A number of renowned jurors have been appointed to judge the films, give their insights and distribute prizes.
The event also features workshops, such as ‘The Fundamental Tools of Writing Film and TV’ by Shaikha Suha Al Khalifa and ‘The Art of Storytelling and the Business of Film’ by Todd Thompson.
Information Minister Dr Ramzan Al Nuaimi stressed the importance of such festivals in preserving cinema as a culture and promoting artistic exchange and understanding among different countries.
He also affirmed that Bahrain boasts all the requirements necessary for the success of the film industry, which is one of the most important sectors of the creative economy, in line with Bahrain Economic Vision 2030.
The event is free and invitation is open to all members of the public.
For full information on film line-ups and workshops, follow Bahrain Film Festival’s Instagram @filmfestivalbh or visit their website at bahrainfilmfestival.org.
nader@gdnmedia.bh
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