Abu Dhabi FF Winners

The Abu Dhabi Film Festival (formerly the Middle East International Film Festival), which was established in 2007, has the dual aim of creating a vibrant film culture throughout the region and nurturing the growth of the regional film industry. The Festival, which concluded this past weekend, has announced the award winners in its various categories. The Emirates Film Competition is dedicated to showcasing short films from established directors and new discoveries from the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf Region countries. This year, the selection comprised 44 short films from all over the Gulf region, including 29 from the UAE.

The jury awarded the following Black Pearl Awards in the Emirates Film Competition:

Short Narrative Competition

First Prize (AED 30,000) – Soul, directed by Fatma Abdulla (UAE)

Second Prize (AED 25,000) – Dreams of Rice, by Yasser Al Neyadi and Hana Al Shatri (UAE)

Third Prize (AED 20,000) – Telephoni, directed by Hassan Kiyany (UAE)

Special Jury Award (AED 25,000) – Raneen, directed by Maitham Al Musawi (Oman)

Best Emirati Film (AED 25,000) – Soul, directed by Fatma Abdulla (UAE)

Best Script (AED 10,000) – Dreams of Rice, by Yasser Al Neyadi and Hana Al Shatri (UAE)

Best Cinematography (AED 10,000) – Wind, directed by Waleed Al Shehhi (UAE)

Short Documentary Competition

First Prize (AED 30,000) – A Falcon Will Not Breed a Dove, by Mansour Al Dhaheri (UAE)

Second Prize (AED 25,000) – Photon, by Awadh Al Hamzani (Saudi Arabia)

Third Prize (AED 20,000) – A Night to Remember, by Fahmi Farahat (Saudi Arabia)

Special Jury Award (AED 25,000) – Letters to Palestine, by Rashid Al Marri (UAE)

International Short Film Competition

Best Narrative ($25,000) – A Marriage, directed by Henning Rosenlund (Norway)

Best Documentary ($25,000) – Written in Ink, directed by Martin Rath (Poland)

Best Animation ($20,000) – Luminaris, directed by Juan Pablo Zaramella (Argentina), shared with Specky Four-Eyes, directed by Jean-Claude Rozec (France)

Best Film from the Arab World ($25,000) – Farewell Exile, by Lamia Alami (Morocco)

Best Producer ($10,000) – Arben Zharku (Kosovo) for The Wedding Tape

Best Producer from the Arab World ($10,000) – Yacine Bouaziz (Algeria) for Tomorrow, Algiers?

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