Amin Alemi
Press TV, Kabul
For the first time in Afghan history, filmmakers have walked on a red carpet during the country’s first-ever national film festival with honor and pride to attend the closing ceremony of the 10-day event.
The festival was widely welcomed by filmmakers, cinema enthusiasts, and the Afghan government. They all also expressed optimism about the prospects of film and filmmaking while hoping for a brighter future for the industry in Afghanistan.
Fifty five films were submitted to the festival. The jury committee then chose 10 movies as the festivals' award winners.
Filmmakers in Afghanistan have also said that the launch of this festival is considered a starting point in the development of the industry in the country.
Meanwhile, many in Afghanistan believe that since the main goal of the festival is to create competition among Afghan filmmakers, it is expected that new movies by Afghan filmmakers will be put on display in the near future.
It is also believed that strengthening the film industry by holding such festivals will let Afghans gain more information about their own culture, history, and art.
As observers say, the launch of the first-ever national film festival despite rising instability and insecurity in Afghanistan shows the government wants to give significance to the cultural domain rather than making the fight against terrorism the only priority in the war-ravaged country.