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The Bahrain Keraleeya Samajam (BKS) Indian expat club is preparing to stage the island's first international short film festival as part of the Bahrain National Day celebrations.
It will be staged at the Diamond Jubilee Hall in Segaiya on Friday and Saturday. Suresh Karunakaran, festival chairman, said: "Our mission is to celebrate and encourage amateur and professional filmmakers."
The BKS International Short Film Festival (BKSISFF) selection committee received 57 entries from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, the UAE, India and the UK.
Twenty will be chosen by an official jury made up of international guests Adoor Gopalakrishnan, a renowned Indian director, and Soorya Krishnamurthy, founder of the international cultural stage and film society SOORYA as well as KSDi's Khalifa Shaheen, a celebrated Bahraini cameraman who also starred as a pirate in a Disney film featuring the kingdom.
Six of the short films have been made by members of the BKS Cinema Club. Its spokesman Ajith Nair said: "I am really happy and proud that the club has brought out six wonderful short films exhibiting the talents of so many people - the directors, actors and all the crew members.
"The success of any movie is its 'reachability'. We were able to reach out to a large audience at our initial screenings held last Friday at the Samajam.
"The BKSISFF is also a great opportunity for us to see world class films and learn from them."
Hareesh Menon, participant and director of a short film entitled Caffeine, said: "We hope the festival becomes a benchmark for aspiring film makers in Bahrain.
"We also hope that our own film is understood and would welcome the opportunity to gauge the responses and perceptions of a cross section of the community, experts and officials."
On Friday, the club will showcase 10 films shortly after an opening ceremony at 4pm. After the films are screened, Mr Gopalakrishnan will speak to the guests.
On Saturday the remaining 10 films will be screened from 10am onwards and an awards ceremony will take place at 8pm.
Cash prizes will be awarded in four categories - $1,000 for the Best Film and $500 each for Best Director, Best Male Actor and Best Female Actor.
