The 13th Oran International Arab Film Festival concluded last night at the Le Meridien Hotel in Oran, under the patronage of the Minister of Culture and Arts, Malika Bendouda. The closing ceremony was attended by a distinguished gathering of cinematic, artistic, and cultural figures from Algeria and beyond.
In her address, the Minister expressed her delight at the success of this year’s festival and shared the joy of the closing with the Arab cinematic community. She emphasized that the festival served as an exceptional artistic platform, blending the allure of the location with the passion for creativity. She highlighted cinema as a sophisticated medium for crafting beauty, exposing devastation, and condemning corruption.
The Minister evoked the tragedy of the Palestinian people and the suffering in Gaza, describing it as a “surreal spectacle” where art can champion justice and freedom. She commended the spirit of harmony and artistic dialogue that characterized the screenings and discussions between the audience and filmmakers. She noted that the festival’s value is not solely measured by the number of films screened but by the extent of audience engagement, describing the audience as “a work of art in the darkness when it is absent.”
She called for strengthening the culture of cinematic appreciation in Algeria, noting that Algerians appreciate and love cinema when it supports just humanitarian causes. She affirmed that such events open new avenues for discussion on funding, marketing, and Arab film production.
The closing ceremony featured captivating musical performances by Cheb Mami, Nacira Gormati, and Zina Larab. Artist Marcel Khalife delivered a moving speech on the value of art in resisting ugliness and fostering hope, expressing his solidarity with the Palestinian people and his belief in the role of culture in defending noble human values.
The event also honored a group of prominent Arab and Algerian figures in recognition of their careers and contributions to the cinematic scene, including Sid Ahmed Agoumi, Yasser Galal, Munther Rayahneh, Lina Khoury, Souad Hermassi, Rachid Belabbas, Karim Ben Cheikh, and Meriem Zerouki.
The festivities concluded with the distribution of the festival’s official awards in the feature, short, and documentary film categories, as well as acting awards and a special jury prize, in a celebratory atmosphere that underscored Algeria’s status as a beacon of the seventh art and a sublime cultural and humanitarian message that transcends borders.
