Today, Saturday, the activities of the first session of the Baghdad Film Festival kicked off amid a large Arab presence.
Among the artists who attended the opening at Al-Mansour Cinema were Egyptian actress Elham Shaheen, Kuwaiti actor Mohamed Al-Mansour, and Iraqi actress Soha Salem.
The session, which continues until February 14, bears the name of Iraqi director Muhammad Shukri Jamil (86 years old), who received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the opening ceremony “in appreciation of his rich achievement over decades.”
The festival also honored Iraqi actors Qasim Al-Malak and Sami Qaftan with the same award.
Ahmed Fakak Al-Badrani, Minister of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, said, “Many events would have been absent, forgotten and gone unheeded had it not been for the presence of cinema. Cinema is history, science, art, taste and beauty. For this reason, the largest cities and the most prestigious cities are competing to hold these festivals and competitions.”
He added, “Baghdad is now hosting this great festival in the presence of cinema icons and beauty icons.”
The festival, which is organized by the Iraqi Artists Syndicate in cooperation with the Cinema and Theater Department, displays 11 feature films, 16 short narrative films, 10 documentaries and 11 animation films from about 14 countries, in addition to 10 newly produced Iraqi films within the (New Cinematic Spaces) section.
The Sudanese film (Goodbye, Julia), directed by Mohamed Kordofani, starring Iman Youssef, Siran Riak, and Nizar Jumaa, opened the festival's screenings.
#launch #session #Baghdad #Film #Festival
