HE Al Kuwari Meets Several Artists and Critics Attending 1st GCC Film Festival

Doha, March 01 (QNA) - HE Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage Dr. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari met here on Thursday a number of artists, critics and GCC and Arab researchers who are attending the 1st GCC Film Festival kicking off in Doha last Thursday, Feb.23 at Qatar National Theatre. Talks during the meeting dealt with the movie and its role in reviving the societies and the newest trends raised in light of the recent political, social and economic changes the world is now witnessing under the technical and technological progress which created new types on such an art in form and content or even as far as distribution is concerned. At the end of the meeting, the participants voiced their deep thanks and appreciation to the state of qatar for hosting such a festival and the warm welcome they felt during their stay here and the well-organisation of the event. Khalid bin Salem Al Ghassani, the GCC Assistant Secretary-General for the Cultural and Information Affairs at the GCC General Secretariat, also attended the festival's opening ceremony held on Thursday , Feb.23 at the Qatar National Theatre and extending to March 1st. The event is expected to conclude here this evening. The festival screened a selection of short and documentary films of the participating countries each of Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, and Sultanate of Oman. The festival is allocating awards for the best Film, Direction, Script, Cinematography, and Picture Editing as well as the best Actor. There will be a ceremony honoring the pioneers of filmmakers in Gulf area, HE dr. Al Kuwari said. Each of the participant Gulf countries will showcase a total of four films two of which are featuring films and two documentaries; that is the opening of the screening will start in the showcase of the four Qatari participating films. The screening will be followed by a discussion panel for the films with the Qatari directors, Dr. Al Kuwari added. A number of Arab stars and artists in film making industry and prominent Arab critics have been invited, among them are; Egyptian Directors Khlaid Yusuf and Khairy Bishara, Egyptian Actor Nour Al Shereef, the Film Critic Khairya Al Bishlawi, and the Kuwaiti Actor Mohammad Al Mansour. (QNA)