Muscat: Oman's only feature filmmaker behind the Muscat International Film Festival (MIFF) lamented the lack of government support for hosting the annual event that has big names lined up from film industry in Hollywood, Bollywood as well as the Arab world.

"There's no financial support nor logistic help from the authorities and we are now struggling to meet our expenses, which we estimate could be over 500,000 Omani riyals," Khalid Al Zedjali, MIFF Chairman, said on Tuesday.

"For the last eight years we have been getting the same amount of financial aid from the government although the festival has grown in size and expenses have increased," he said, thanking the private sector for backing them up.

"When we got big Bollywood stars such as Amitabh Bachchan and Sanjay Dutt, rumours were that we made one million riyals but that is not true, we just managed to break even," clarified the chief of the NGO.

This year, the opening of the MIFF on March 24 at the Sultan Qaboos University will see popular Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram performing. Her performance will be followed by Indian percussionist Sivmani, Indian film star and dancer Isha Sharvani and Omani singer Salah Al Zedjali.

Billy Ban Ban, Lucky Ali, Ramli Ibrahim and Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia will perform during the closing ceremony of MIFF on March 31.

Al Zedjali further said that MIFF could be used to popularise Oman as a tourism destination also. "We had approached the Tourism Ministry earlier but we were denied any aid but now with the new minister we are approaching them again and are hopeful," he added.

He said that with government support this annual event could become better. "Similar festivals in Dubai and Qatar have become big events because they are getting good backing," he added.

He also regretted that as far as cinematic culture is concerned, Oman was so far an unknown place. "People ask, what Oman? Where?" He reiterated that he would relentlessly continue his quest to put Oman on the international cinema map.

"We have taken one step ahead this time and have made Muscat Film Festival international, hopefully will keep moving ahead," he added.

"I am determined to prove that we can do it," he said and hoped that eventually government support would come.

The MIFF this time is backed by Black and White magazine at a time when a black white film The Artist has won an Oscar.

"We are paying tribute to James Bond as this is the 50th anniversary of Bond movie," Mohammed Eisa Al Zedjali of Black and White magazine announced.

The highlight of the festival is premier of popular Hindi film Agent Vinod. Leading actors from the film, Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor will attend the premier along with Karishma Kapoor, Al Zedjali said.