In a press conference held by the festival, it was revealed that Omar Shargawi's film Al Medina has been selected for Oran International Arab Film Festival (FIOFA). To be held from July 22-27, the 9th edition of the festival will host the film which competes for the Golden Wahr Award as part of the Feature Films Competition.

Landed its world premiere at the 12th Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), Al Medina is written and directed by Omar Shargawi who also plays the lead role.

Al Medina tells the story of Yusif who decides to come back along with his Danish pregnant wife Sarah
to his home town Al Medina. His God-fearing heart is following a dream of returning to his roots searching for peace and happiness with his wife and unborn child. Yet only when he kills a beggar boy, by mistake, his life changes and this throws him into the dark side of his own home town.

Al Medina stars Ashraf Farah, Ghazal, Sara Hjort Ditlevsen, Hassan Shaer, Nadera Omran, Majida Al Bashayreh, Makram Khoury, Siham Al Kurdi, and Ali Elian along with Omar Shargawi. Al Medina is a co-production between Rula Nasser (The Imaginarium) and Danish producers Tomas Radoor and Rene Ezra (Nordisk Film Production). The film's Arab world distribution and marketing is assigned to MAD Distributions.

Oran International Arab Film Festival has previously announced the jury members for the Feature Films Competition; Egyptian actor Asser Yassin, and Syrian director Mohammad Malas as the Jury President. The competition includes 12 competing films from across Arab world.