On the threshold of National Armed Forces Day in Afghanistan, the Soldier Film Festival opened in Kabul on Wednesday and is a cooperative effort between the Afghan Ministry of Information and Culture (MoIC) and Afghan Film (AF).

The National Armed Forces Day is celebrated on February 27.

The festival is aimed at supporting the Afghan security forces.

This is the first time that a soldier film festival has been launched in Afghanistan; however, according to the organizers of this festival, more will be held in the future.

30 films have been submitted in the documentary, fiction and animation categories.

“Hoot 9th (27 February) is the day to commemorate and the day of paying homage to the members of the security and defense forces—therefore we launched the festival today,” said Sahra Karimi, the head of Afghan Film.

“I feel very proud today that those who are serving this nation are appreciated,” said Afghan artist Sediqa Tamkeen.

The festival was attended by artists, cinema figures, directors and Minister of Defense Massoud Andarabi and Shahmahmood Miakhel, the deputy defense minister.

"At the request of the people of Afghanistan, we went from a state of war to a ceasefire and then in the state of reduced violence, on defensive positon and then active defense,” said Andarabi at the festival.

“The fact is that if there is no intellectual and cultural transformation and change in a society, there will be no stability, no security and no development in that society,” said Shahmahmood Miakhel, the deputy minister of defense.