EIGHTY-NINE short films from 23 Arab countries have been selected for the fourth edition of the Bahrain Film Festival (BFF) which will be held later this year.
A total of 481 entries from 23 Arab countries were received for the popular annual festival, organised by the Bahrain Cinema Club, and this year it will be held from November 3 to 7.
The official competition will present entries in five main categories: short narrative films, short documentaries, animation films, Bahraini films and student films, according to selection committee head Dr Parween Habib, who is a renowned Bahraini writer and media personality.
“The entries include 43 fiction films, 25 documentaries, 10 student films, six animation films and five Bahraini films,” she said.
“Committee members carefully evaluated all the submissions for their script, artistic performance, direction, music, visual language and technical aspects,” she added.
Participants were required to create an original film lasting no longer than 30 minutes, with English or Arabic subtitles.
One of the Bahraini films selected is Jaan Albalushi’s Under the Sand which is touching documentary of a community in Balochistan province whose homes are being engulfed by sand.
“The film delves into the everyday struggles of the residents as they navigate life in a challenging, sandy landscape,” the 40-year-old told the GDN.
“It also captures their personal narratives, obstacles they overcome and unique living conditions.
“The film offers a window into the daily realities and hardships faced by the people of this region,” added Mr Albalushi.
He said he became fascinated with a village he visited in Balochistan during a trip in October last year, and was “struck by the sight of houses buried under sand”.
“Initially, I assumed they were abandoned, but I was shocked to find people still living in them,” he said, adding that while he couldn’t provide these people with new houses, he could amplify their voices and share their story through his lens as a filmmaker.
Filming involved two days of research, 12 hours of filming and more than a month to edit.
The short film has won 2024 Best Documentary awards at the Crown Wood International Film Festival, India; AlSharqia International Film Festival, Oman; Cinema and Desert Film Festival, Oman; and Beirut International Film Festival, Lebanon.
Another film to make the grade at the festival is Libyan filmmaker Mohamed Masli’s Lost Rights.
He will travel to Bahrain for the first time to attend the festival and watch his 27-minute documentary on the big screen.
“My film tells four stories highlighting the absence of rule of law in my country. It feels amazing to have my film selected, and I am very excited to visit Bahrain for the first time,” he said, adding that he already feels like he won an award just by being selected.
The 40-year-old also said that the film was made to share the “voices of those who cannot speak”.
“I love sharing messages that relate to human rights and the inspiring stories of others that deserve to be told. This isn’t the first time a film of mine has been dedicated to these kinds of topics.”
Mr Masli’s film won Best Documentary Film at the International Documentary and Short Fiction Film Festival in Medenine, Tunisia in December last year.
julia@gdnmedia.bh
&uuid=(email))