The 8th Oran's International Festival of Arab film (FIOFA) was inaugurated Wednesday evening in Oran, by Minister of Culture Azzedine Mihoubi.

The opening ceremony was attended BY Communication minister Hamid Grin, the president of the audiovisual regulatory authority Miloud Chorfi, a large number of guests and a host of National and Arab stars, like Leila Aloui, Yahia El Fakhrani, Sabah el Djazairi and the Franco-Italian Claudia Cardinale.

The opening ceremony was marked by the performance by the National Symphony Orchestra led by Maestro Farid Aoumar of music of the Algerian greatest films.

Seventeen Arab countries participating in official competitions with 38 films competing in three sections: long and short films and documentaries. Out of competition, and as part of the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of the Revolution of 1 November 1954, the cinema-going public of Oran will appreciate 14 national films including the latest productions as "Colonel Lotfi" of Ahmed Rachedi, "Crépuscule des ombres" (Twilight shadows) of Mohamed Lakhdar Hamina.

Many tributes were paid to the figures of the 7th Arab art deceased figures Mohamed Lakhdar Hamina, honorary president of the festival, to mark the 40TH anniversary of the Golden Palm award for his film "Chroniques des années de braise" (Chronic years of embers).

For this 8th edition, organizers have scheduled an international conference on "film and novel" and an Arab film and television lounge. The winners of this 8th edition will be announced on June 12 at the closing ceremony of the festival.