Eighteen long and short documentaries will compete in the official selection of the 12th edition of the Oran International Arab Film Festival (FIOFA), which is set to commence next Friday in Algeria’s western capital. This announcement was made by the festival’s organizing committee.
The lineup features 10 feature-length documentaries and 8 short documentaries, all scheduled to be screened starting Saturday at the Cinematheque in downtown Oran, according to the program for this cultural event.
In the feature-length documentary category, films from directors representing Algeria, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia will vie for recognition. Among these entries are two Algerian films: “Moussa, Last Librarian of Oran,” directed by Hadj Mohamed Fitas, and “Zinet, Algiers and Happiness,” directed by Mohamed Latreche. Additionally, the program includes the Tunisian film “Capitanat” by Houssam Snassa, the Syrian film “Moutarada Dawaa” (In Pursuit of Light) by Yasser Kassab, and the Lebanese film “Rasif Beyrouth” by Farah Hachim.
In the short documentary category, audiences will have the chance to view eight films, including two Algerian productions: “Tahtouh,” directed by Mohamed Ouali, and “Boualem Samaa Koulche,” co-directed by Aziz Boukrouni and Khaled Bounab.
A new section titled “Oran’s Documentaries” has been established for this year’s FIOFA, featuring four films, of which two are Algerian: “Takbelni,” directed by Ilès Boukhamoucha, and “Boudjemâa and the House of Cinema,” directed by Mohamed Latrache. It is important to note that these films will be presented out of competition.
