The Bahrain International Film Festival has announced that 117 Arabic short films will compete in the festival's third edition from October 5-9. The festival committee received 476 films submitted for the competition between February 15 and June 15, 2023. The competition features four main categories: Bahraini films with 19 competitors, short narrative films with 76, documentaries with 15, and animation with six. The festival committee consists of a selection committee that includes journalist Mohammed Fadel Al-Obaidli, artist Jamal Al-Ghailan, and filmmaker Ahmed Al-Fardan. Three juries will evaluate the films, including critic Abdul Sattar Naji for the Bahraini and short narrative categories, media professor Mohammed Sayed for documentaries, and assistant media professor Samia Al-Hashimi for animation. The festival will also present several training workshops and discussions along with various international events. The festival's opening ceremony will be attended by Gulf and Arab cinema figures to support the Bahraini film industry and encourage young people to participate.