MOSCOW, KAZAN, September 5 (RIA Novosti) - The first international Muslim film festival, the Golden Minbar, will give audiences the chance to see the history, culture, traditions, and way of life of Muslims, the festival's president said Monday.
Ravil Gainutdin, who is also the chief mufti of Russia, said there would not be any horror or action movies.
"The Golden Minbar is a cinematic forum of peace and accord," Gainutdin said. "It will not only include films by Muslim directors, but also representatives of religions from Britain, Canada, Lithuania, and Poland."
The spiritual leader said recent events in the world meant it was particularly important to show "good movies" about Muslims that would help an objective representation of true followers of Islam in Russian and global cinema.
The film festival, which takes its name from the stepped pulpit where Friday prayer is spoken in a mosque, is being held in Kazan, the capital of the Russian republic of Tatarstan, and will be a highlight of the city's millennium celebrations.
The organizing committee said more than 70 films from 18 countries would be screened in the three categories: features films, documentaries, and animations.
Rustam Ibragimbekov, a celebrated Russian author and screenwriter, is chairing the competition jury, which will also include directors and actors from Russia and Muslim countries.
